BLUE LUPINS

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume LXI, Issue 16, 27 February 1940, Page 6

BLUE LUPINS

USEFUL FODDER PLANT

SUCCESSFUL USE IN MID-CANTERBURY

Although the A. and P. statistics for the 1938-39 seasoh do not reveal the area devoted to the blue lupin crop in the Ashburton County, the statistics do indicate that, excluding cereal crops, rape and chou moellier, there were almost 600 acres of green feed grown alnd classed as "other green fodder." It would probably be correct to assume that the greater proportion of this area was sown in blue lupins. -

In addition to lupin-dominant crops, many farmers in recent years have sown a sprinkling of blue lupins in conjunction with turnips, oats, and Italian ryegrass. At all, events, this crop has' now

attained a'fair measure of popularity. Originally confined principally to the medium soils in the Chertsey, Pendarves, Mitcham districts, it has now spread to better quality land in such localities as Greenstreet, Winchmore, and Methven, and this last season some crops were observed on the light land of the Hinds-Ealing plains, writes Mr G. K. McPherson, Instructor of Agriculture, Ashburton, in the Agricultural Jourhal. Three Kinds There are three kinds of lupins, blue, yellow and white, but the blue lupin, Lupinus augustifolium, is the only one which is grown in the Ashburton County, probably because it is the least susceptible to frost injury. In this county, however, frosts will injure the blue lupihs when the plants are in the seedling stage, and also when -He crop has reached, or is approaching, the flowering stage. Many of the original growers of blue lupins expressed disappoint- j

ment with the results obtained, and consequently the crop lost favour for a time. It was claimed that the crop was liable to frost injury, that sheep did not take kindly to the herbage, and. that the plant possessed an alkaloid which was liable to cause death or to produce a trembling or staggering gait, particularly among breeding ewes. It was also claimed that it was a difficult crop to harvest.

There would appear to be a certain measure 6f truth in these statements, but the experiences of farmers who have persevered with the crop suggest that, with a proper knowledge of its characteristics, any limitations possessed by the plant can be largely eliminated.

The past season saw many failures with the turnip crop in Canterbury, and for this season; it is possible that during, the coming seaso_i some farmers will turn towards the blue lupin crop as a means of augmenting their supply of winter sheep feed. In this connexion, farmers will be interested in the experiences of Mr W. H. Wilkinson, of Chertsey, the pioneer of the blue lupin crop in the Ashburto_i County.

Mr Wilkinson is farming a property of light to medium land three or four miles west of Chertsey, and some indication of the fertility of his soil can be gauged from the fact that the wheat yield in a 'normal season varies between 20 and 25 bushels per acre. Mr Wilkinson was not only the first farmer to grow blue lupins in the Ashburton County, but he is also one of the few who have persevered: with the crop and made a success of it.

First Trial

Years ago it occurred to Mr Wilkinson that the failure of pastures to establish and hold on the light land of Canterbury was possibly due to a deficiency of nitrogen in the soil, which could, to some extent be rectified by growing a legume, and as far back as 1925 he purchased two bushels of blue lupin seed. The area sown was harvested and 40 to 50 bushels of seed were obtained. Mr Wilkinson's sole intention at this time was to augment his supply of seed so that he could sow areas each year and gradually build up the fertility of the soil by ploughing under the green material when the crop had attained sufficient height. On the original area sown, However, it was found that a line of hoggets put on to clean up the weed growt__ also ate the young plants from the re-seeding. The hoggets came through the winter in very good condition and

had an excellent bloom. The trial demonstrated that blue lupins had possibilities as a forage crop as well as a builder of soil fertility and from that time onwards Mr Wilkinson experimented with the crop to determine the best methods to follow to combine these two desirable features to the best advantage. The methods described are those which he ultimately found to be the most suitable for his particular soil and climatic conditions. It may be mentioned, however, that it was not until the advent of the tractor, which permitted rapid cultivation, that their possibilities as a crop for the light and medium land could be fully exploited.

Time of Sowing

Time of sowing is a most important factor in the successful growing of the lupin crop. This should be regulated to avoid frost injury and *to correspond with the period when the feed is required. Mr Wilkinson arranges his sowings to provide autumn feed (April, May, June) and spring and early summer feed (September to' December inclusive). For July feeding, and until the ewes lamb in August, tuhups are fed.

For autumn feed, lupins are preferably sown in fallowed ground out of grass. A long fallow is not necessary, but sufficient moisture must be conserved to offset any dry period which may intervene. Sowings may take place at intervals from mid-December uhtil the third week in January. Seeding for this sowing should be at the rate of two or three bushels per acre preferably the heavier Seeding. No fertilisers are necessary if the land is in reasonably good heart. The seed should be drilled very lightly —one inch—and the land should not be rolled either before or after sowing. Lupins sown at this time will provide feed from mid-April until the ehd of June, the great advantage being that during this period the grass paddocks are being spelled.

Some indication of the carrying capacity for autumn feed may be guaged from the following examples. In one instance 50 acres with bare, run-out paddock carried 850 breeding ewes for 2| months; in another case 70 acres of lupins carried 950 breeding ewes for seven to eight weeks. In still another instance a fifty acre paddock carried 1100 ewes for six weeks and 1300 ewes for an additional two weeks. When this feed-ing-olf is completed the soil is usually very friable and is in excellent order for one-furrow wheat.

Sowing for Spring Feed

For spring feed lupins are sown after wheat in March or April, preferably the former mohth. It is not considered advisable that lupins should follow a legume. Frosts will retard the growth of the plants when they are in the seedling stage, and therefore sowings later than April are not recommended. Perennial ryegrass, or oats are included with the lupins, the grass or oats being sown at half to threequarters bushel per acre and the lupins at one to one and a half bushels per .acre. To facilitate the strike of grass the land should be rolled in this instance. Given reasonable weather conditions, the crop is ready for "feeding- i off in late August or early September, and ewes as they lamb are shifted on to the lupins and grass. This sowing may be grazed until the ripening stage, but as the pods ripen care must be exercised, as there is a danger of sheep i losses. Provided a good run-off paddock is made available, how-! ever, the sheep automatically bal-j ance their owii diet, and any danger is largely eliminated.

As the crop approaches the ripening stage, feeding-off is regulated in order to allow sufficient seed — two to three bushels per acre or more—to khell out for next season. Immediately the bulk of the seeds have shelled out the area is grubbed once or twice with a stiff tine grubber, and if it is desired to obtain a good strike this operation naturally must be carried out before rain is experienced. The resultant crop is equivalent to a December or January sowing, so that a good supply of autumn feed is provided at very little cost.

The grubbing to cover the lupin

seed will injure the sward of grass, but not to the extent one would expect. It is the crop obtained from the re-seeding which confers the greatest benefit on the soil.

In Mid-Canterbury it has been a common practice during tlie past few years for farmers to sow about | to | bushels of lupins per acre with the turnip crop. This practice is to be recommended. Not only are the sheep provided with a variety of food but it is also a good method of acclimating the sheep to the taste of the lupins. Mr Wilkinson considers that cross-drilling the lupin seed in the turnip crop in February or March would probably be an advantage, as there would be less chahce of frost damage.

Seed Production

For seed production, lupins are best sown about the middle of March at the.rate of 1. to 2 bushels per acre. If sown at this time the crop is ready to harvest some time in December, when harvesting machinery is easy to procure and weather, conditions are most suitable for maturing the seed. In addition, seed harvested at this time is available for sowing the following autumn.

If spring-sown, the crop will not be ready for harvesting until late in the autumn, when there is less heat in the sun and consequently greater difficulty in curing the seed. Moreover, seed harvested at this time may be too late for autumn

sowing,

Harvesting the Crop

The blue lupin is a very tricky crop to harvest, and even under the best of conditions only 75 per cent of the seed is obtained. If harvested a little on the green side, the seed may be difficult to mature, whereas, if left a little late, the pods may crack open. Probably the safest and the best method is to reap the crop with the binder, stack, and allow the seed to mature in the stack "before threshing. While producing a good sample, this method is fairly expensive, ahd can only be adopted with a crop which is reasonably high.

Windrowing of crops is a common practice, but has the disadvantage that the Seed is inclined to drop out in rows, making the resultant crop from the re-seeding rather uneven. In addition, if the crop is rather heavy the top layer of the windrow is inclined to become over-mature while the bottom layer is still quite green. With direct heading there may be a greater risk of the seed shelling, but the method has an advantage that the seed shells form an even spread over the whole paddock. If the crop is windrowed or directheaded the seed should be allowed to mature in the paddock in manure sacks, or, if in grain sacks, they should be only partly filled with seed.

Feeding the Lupins

Lupins are bitter to the taste, and consequently sheep do not take kindly to them for a start. Once a taste for them is acquired, however, they graze the crop readily. Sheep not accustomed to lupins should. be worked on to them gradually—put on in the daytime and removed to a rather bare paddock at night. A liking for them is thus acquired in the course of a few days. Ewes foreig-i to lupins should not be put on the crop at or near tupping time. With autumn feeding, sheep should have access to the lupins in the daytime and be removed each night to grass, whereas, with spring feeding, the ewes and lambs may be left on the crop continuously if frosts are not being experienced.

Lupins cannot be classed as a fattening crop in the same way as turnips or rape, although sheep grazing on them will actually improve in condition and maintain a good, healthy appearance. Mr Wilkinson considers that lupins up to 2 feet in height are unsurpassed for carrying hoggets through the autumn. It has also been Mr Wilkinson's experience that lupins act as a tonic —that they cure scouring and generally improve the health of the sheep. If reasonable care is taken deaths are no more frequent than with any other crop.

It is quite possible that crops sown in December may begin flowering towards the end of June, at

a time when heavy frosts are experienced. If the crop has not been completely fed-off by this time it may be advisable to mow the remaining portion. The mown material will not frost, ahd by this means a week or ten days' extra.; feeding can be obtained.