Yield and predicted feed quality of different German cultivars of blue lupins (Lupinus angustifolius)

Summary

In the present work different cultivars of blue lupins were tested at two sites, the experimental farm of the Institute of Organic Farming (IOF-site) at Trenthorst near Hamburg and the experimental station of the Institute of Plant and Soil Science (ICSS-site) at Braunschweig (conventional farming). The field experiments were conducted from 2003 – 2005 at the IOF-site and in 2006 and 2007 at the ICSS-site. At the IOF-site yield was 2,95 t ha-1 on average, whereas the mean yield at the ICSS-site was lower with 2.0 t ha-1. However, a significant interaction between cultivar and year was observed for yield (P<0.001 and P<0.01 for IOF-site and ICSS-site, respectively). At the ICSS-site the cultivars Vitabor, Boltensia, Borlu and Sonet showed the lowest yield. Yield was similar between the branched and determinate cultivars at both sites, but the crude protein content (CP) was in the majority of the cases higher in the branched cultivars. The CP content ranged between 28.2% and 37.8% DM at the IOF-site and between 34.7 and 39.2% DM at the ICSS-site, respectively. The newer cultivars Idefix and Probor, which were tested at ICSS-site in 2006 and 2007, had the highest CP content (39.2 and 38.8% DM). Additionally, the predicted Net Energy for Lactation (NEL) in dairy cow and the predicted Metabolized Energy for pigs (ME) showed interactions between year and cultivar with the exception of ME at the ICSS-site. Cultivars with a high NEL respectively ME were Bora, Boruta, Bolivio and Borlu at the IOF-site and Probor, Borlu, Idefix, Boregine and Boltensia at the ICSS-site.