The Potential of White Lupin (Lupinus albus L.) Seed and Biomass Yield in organic Farming

Abstract

Lupin is a very promising crop for seed and biomass production in organic farming. The aim of this research, conducted in 2018 and 2019 at the experimental facility of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, was to determine the white lupin seed and biomass yield, depending on the sowing density. The trial was laid out according to a randomized block design with four replications. The research included two white lupin varieties, Feodora and Energy, respectively, and three sowing densities: 50, 70, and 90 seeds m-2. In 2018, the Energy variety achieved a higher green mass and dry matter yield than the Feodora variety, and tended to produce the insignificantly higher yields than Feodora over all the tested sowing densities in 2019. The green mass and the dry matter yield increased with an increase in the sowing density. In 2019, the weather conditions were more favorable for the lupin growth and development, and a higher yield was achieved if compared to that of 2018. The Energy variety achieved a significantly higher seed yield in 2018. The seed yield increased with an increase in the sowing density. In both research years, the number of pods and seed weight per plant decreased with an increase in the sowing density. These parameters’ lowest values were achieved at the sowing density of 90 seeds m-2. A tendency of a harvest index decrease was detected along with an increase in the sowing density, but the differences were very small.