Growth, yield and yield component attributes of narrow-leafed lupin (&lt;i&gt;Lupinus angustifolius&lt;/i&gt; L.) varieties in the highlands of Ethiopia

Firehiwot Alemu,Likawent Yeheyis,Bimrew Asmare

doi:10.17138/tgft(7)48-55

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to characterize the growth and yield performance of narrow-leafed sweet blue lupin varieties (Lupinus angustifolius L.) in northwestern Ethiopia. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with 4 replications and included 7 varieties (Bora, Probor, Sanabor, Vitabor, Haags blaue, Borlu and Boregine). Data on days to flowering and to maturity, flower color, plant height, numbers of leaflets, branches and pods per plant, pod length, number of seeds per pod, forage dry matter (DM) yield, grain yield and 1,000-seed weight were recorded. The results showed that plant height, number of branches per plant, forage DM yield, number of seeds per pod, grain yield and 1,000-seed weight varied significantly (P<0.01) among varieties. The highest forage DM yield at 50% flowering (2.67 t/ha), numbers of pods per plant (16.9) and of seeds per pod (4.15), grain yield (1,900 kg/ha) and 1,000-seed weight (121 g) were obtained from the Boregine variety. The tallest plants and greatest number of branches per plant were recorded from varieties Sanabor and Bora, respectively. Correlation analysis showed that the major factor affecting forage DM yield was plant height, while plant height, days to maturity and number of seeds per pod had the greatest influence on grain yield. The best performing variety was Boregine followed by Sanabor and Bora. These varieties seem promising for the development of sustainable forage production strategies with limited external inputs. However, future research should be conducted on the improvement of their agronomy and the possibility of their utilization as protein supplements using narrow-leafed sweet blue lupin forage or grain, as well as testing of promising varieties in diverse locations.

Highlights

In Ethiopia, the livestock subsector makes significant contributions to the national income and the livelihoods of households (CSA 2016), contributing 15‒17% of gross domestic product (GDP), 35‒49% of agricultural GDP and 37‒87% of household incomes (ILRI 2010; Behnke and Menagerie 2011)
Livestock’s contribution is below potential because of inadequate nutrition, with the critical feed nutrient, crude protein (CP), of herbaceous plants declining during the dry season, leading to prolonged periods of under-nutrition of livestock (Yayneshet 2010)
This shortage of CP could be mitigated through integration of multipurpose forage legume species such as lupin into feeding systems

Summary

Introduction

In Ethiopia, the livestock subsector makes significant contributions to the national income and the livelihoods of households (CSA 2016), contributing 15‒17% of gross domestic product (GDP), 35‒49% of agricultural GDP and 37‒87% of household incomes (ILRI 2010; Behnke and Menagerie 2011). Livestock’s contribution is below potential because of inadequate nutrition, with the critical feed nutrient, crude protein (CP), of herbaceous plants declining during the dry season, leading to prolonged periods of under-nutrition of livestock (Yayneshet 2010). This shortage of CP could be mitigated through integration of multipurpose forage legume species such as lupin into feeding systems. Vitabor and Sanabor are nationally registered varieties for use as multipurpose pulse crops in Ethiopia These varieties have potential as both feed for livestock and food for humans and are suitable for intercropping with maize (Alemayehu et al 2014; Yeheyis et al 2015). This study was conducted to characterize different varieties of narrow-leafed lupin based on growth characteristics and physical features

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion