Growing of Blue Lupins

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 60, Issue 4, 15 April 1940, Page 298

Growing of Blue Lupins

. In answer to an inquiry from Onga Onga on the growing. of blue lupins, on clay land, the Wellington Superintendent of the Fields Division (Mr. C. J. Hamblyn) .writes:- . Blue lupins are used more in Canterbury and parts of Southland than elsewhere in New Zealand. A number of farmers in both Southland and Canterbury have grown blue lupins as part of the farm crops for upwards of ten- years. The lupins are grown for . three purposes: . (1) As a green manuring and soil improvement crop on light soils or on heavy clay soils; (2) as a seed crop; (3) .as a green fodder crop. . ' . ’

It will be best to give some information on each of these three uses for blue lupins. (1) For Green Manuring and Soil Improvement.— lupin is an excellent soil improver both when fed off and when ploughed in as a green crop. It will give a satisfactory crop on the more difficult type of soil such as poor clays and light dry soils. The growth in the early stages , is very slow, the plants taking three or four months to get going.; In the later stages growth is quite rapid as the plants shoot up to flower. For ploughing in the lupin is best left to the full flowering stage, when a drag chain is necessary behind

the plough to help cover the green material. . For green manuring the lupin can ■be sown both in the spring and the autumn. When partially grown the -lupin will stand quite heavy . frosts. Sown in the autumn in March and April, the lupin is ready for plough-ing-in in the spring. When spring sown in August, September, or October, the lupin can be ploughed under during the summer or early autumn. The lupin enriches the soil to a con-, siderable extent, particularly in nitrogen and also improves the texture. For green manuring the seeding should be at the rate of 2-2 J bushels

per acre sown through every coulter of the drill with 3-4 cwt. of superphosphate and lime mixture. (2) As a Seed Crop.— The lupin can be harvested as a seed crop when either?. autumn or ? spring sown. ; The harvesting is done with the binder or the mower. In : the. latter case care is essential in' handling the •; swathes. Lupin' is a tricky crop to harvest for seed, being very subject in shaking and loss of seed in handling. Yields range from ?15 bushels to as high .. as .40-50 bushels under ideal conditions. When harvested as a seed crop it will be found that the lupins have appreciably improved the soil of the paddock. For seed lj-2 bushels is sown through alternate coulters. . (3) As a Green — Blue lupins are seldow grown or fed off by themselves as green feed. The plant or portions of it, is .very unpalatable, but sheep get accustomed to the taste of the plant and when used to it take to it readily. . Lupins are sown with Italian rye in the early autumn as a winter forage crop in place of swedes or turnips. Lupins are also sown with rape, turnips, and oats for late summer and autumn feed. From 1 to lj bushels of lupin are sown with the usual seeding for the accompanying crop when lupins are sown with rape or turnips. About 1-1 J bushels of oats or 20-251 b. of Italian rye are used when the lupin is sown with these. When sowing lupins with rape or turnips it is usual to sow the lupins in every other coulter and the rape or turnips through the remaining coulters. Lupins are also frequently drilled in at the rate of 1-1| bushels when grass seed is sown. The grass seed being broadcast after . drilling, the lupins, on light soils subject to washing and wind blowing the lupins serve a double purpose. They shelter the young grass, bind the soil, and at the same time supply nitrogen to the grass. . Lupins with rape and turnips and also lupins with grass have been successfully used for fattening lambs and ewes, the lupins adding a considerable bulk to the feed produced. • Reports and experience .as to any poisoning effect of lupins vary. considerably. It is stated that a run-off on to a grass paddock is very advisable. It is generally considered that . lupins are safe to feed as part of another crop at any stage of growth, the feeding being done when the accompanying crop is ready. The blue lupin can be recommended as an excellent soil improver, a cer_

tain cropper under difficult conditions, and quite suitable : for feeding off. It / can also be recommended as a cover

crop for new grass on light or very heavy soils where additional nitrogen or shelter is required.