Potential of Wild Yellow Lupin from Northwestern Spain

Abstract

Wild yellow lupin (Lupinus luteus L.) is one of the three species of the genus Lupinus that grows naturally in Galicia (northwestern Spain). In this dairy region imported lupin is widely used as a cheap plant‐derived protein for livestock feed. Our objectives were to investigate variation in yellow lupin accessions from northwestern Spain, determine the relationships among them, and identify useful accessions for production and breeding. Fifty wild accessions and one Portuguese landrace were evaluated for 21 characteristics under winter Mediterranean conditions in northwestern Spain in 2001 and 2002. Accessions showed significant differences for 14 of 21 traits. Accession × environment interaction was significant for seed width and plant height. Based on multivariate analyses, 90% of the accessions grouped together indicating that genetic variation for most studied characters is limited in this germplasm. In general, accessions were late in flowering and maturity, with high levels of vegetative development, small and impermeable seeds, and dehiscent pods. However three accessions (LUP‐0077, LUP‐0080, and LUP‐0125) with high seed yield, water permeability, and relatively large pods and seeds may have potential for seed production and improvement of agronomic characteristics. In addition, LUP‐0196 produced high green mass and could be used for forage production in high rainfall cool‐temperate environments with long growing season conditions.