NERIDUP grower John Wallace has 30-40 years of experience with lupins but turned his back on them many years ago due to difficulties growing them on non-wetting soils and related weed control concerns.
However, since banding the SE14 moisture attraction and retention agent with lupin seed at sowing, it has made it a highly profitable pulse crop in the rotation, as well as for following cereal crops, plus weed management has become much easier.
"In all my years with lupins, I have never seen lupins yield like that - I have never seen anything like it,'' Mr Wallace said, reflecting on his early use of SE14, from SACOA.
The Wallaces regularly produce lupin crops yielding 3-4 tonnes per hectare and some of the best areas have achieved 5t/ha.
"SE14 has given us the confidence to dry-seed lupins on non-wetting sands, where we now get good germination and establishment,'' he said.
"One of the biggest things growing lupins on non-wetting sands is also weed control.
"If you can get good establishment and canopy closure, it's a lot easier to control weeds.
"The even establishment makes spray timing decisions easier as well.
"Last year we got wind blasted and, as a result, had some lupins flowering and others not and this didn't allow our broadleaf spray, so some paddocks were a bit dirty.
"This year they were very even, so a broadleaf spray was applied and the crops are very clean.''
In addition to the increased plant numbers, Mr Wallace said the lupin plants were now producing...
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