New white lupin cultivars for organic farming in Italy

Summary

White lupin breeding activities in Italy focused on developing cultivars adapted to organic farming and diverse growing conditions. A promising pure line showed good yield, high winter survival, strong farmer appreciation and very low seed bitterness, making it a potential candidate for variety registration. In parallel, a farmer-selected evolutionary population adapted to Mediterranean conditions showed a yield advantage and good visual performance, with possible notification as Organic Heterogeneous Material (OHM). Future work should focus on registration, promotion through organic farming networks and careful maintenance of low seed alkaloid levels during multiplication.