CIAM

Jul 30, 2023

No Comments The rise in the costs of fodder and feed added to the concern to incorporate forage crops with which to reduce the costs of livestock farms and the environmental impact are opening the door both to new species and to some that had already been cultivated in Galicia, but they had been falling into disuse. He altramuz (Wolf) is one of the alternatives that is being evaluated and on which they work at the Mabegondo Agricultural Research Center (Ciam), in A Coruña, with the aim of offering the keys to its cultivation to producers who decide to bet on it. Lupine has a high protein content, between 30 and 50% in species such as The white wolf, known as white lupine. This is one of the axes that can promote the recovery of its cultivation in Spain, since in addition to being a source of protein for animal feed, the new CAP contemplates aid for the sustainable production of proteins of vegetable origin, with contributions that can reach to be between 80 to 100 euros per hectare and without having to use certified seed. Lupine is presented as a source of vegetable protein that also takes into account the new CAP The new CAP and the eco-regimes also seek to promote crop rotation, introducing improving species such as legumes and including lupine, which can entail a payment of more than 80 euros per hectare. “The lupine has deep and tap roots, which allow it to have a high resistance to drought. Using it as a green manure greatly improves the soil’s infiltration capacity,” explained the Ciam agronomist. Luis Urquijo during their participation in the conferences on this crop organized by the center itself and which took place in Lalín (Pontevedra). Lupine can be used both for its grain, for human or animal food; like the whole plant, for green manure or fodder. The lupine is also an ally for the recovery of eroded soils. The average price of the cultivation of this grain in 2022 was estimated at 450 euros per ton, almost doubling its value with respect to 2010, when it was around 230 euros, according to data handled by the Ministry of Agriculture. Graphic. Evolution of the price of lupine in Spain between 2009 and 2019. Source: MAPA. An alternative for Galicia? Although lupine has been cultivated in areas of Lugo, its presence is minimal in Galicia and has even been greatly reduced since the 1960s in regions such as Extremadura, Andalusia and Castilla y León, the main Spanish producers and where it had been cultivated since the 1930s. This reduction in the area dedicated to its cultivation was due in particular to the low price of soybeans, which became a more profitable alternative in food. However, the increase in value experienced by cereals such as soybeans in the last year, derived from the war in Ukraine, puts lupine back on the table. Lupine grains. One of the aspects for which it is presented as an alternative to produce in Galicia is its high tolerance to frost (between -6º and -9º), although as Urquijo recalls, during flowering it is more sensitive. The optimal growth temperature is between 15º and 25º. In addition, it does not require a large supply of water, which means that it can be grown in areas with a minimum rainfall of about 350 millimeters per year, requiring the greatest supply during flowering and the setting of the vines. Thus, according to the Ciam, based on different studies carried out by other researchers, for a yield of about 4 tons per hectare, between 400 and 500 millimeters of water per year would be required, an amount well below that registered in all Galician towns. . It is also a species that adapts to different soils, especially it occurs in acid or neutral soils, so it is also viable to grow in Galicia. “It is a crop that is also adapted to poor soils and depending on the pH of the soil one species or another can be used”, details the researcher. Thus, the yellow lupine (Yellow wolf) grows well on more acid and poor soils, but has less resistance to frost and cold than other varieties. Meanwhile, the white lupine (The white wolf) requires more fertile and less acid soils. Depending on the area in which it is grown and the type of soil that exists, it is advisable to use one species or another, and sow in spring or autumn. This legume is usually sown in autumn, and flowering occurs at the end of February, which will last until May. “Good results are also being achieved with spring sowings carried out in those colder areas,” explains Urquijo. Depending on when sowing is carried out, the amount of seed to be used also varies. In winter sowings, in warm areas, it is recommended to use about 20 plants per square meter. Meanwhile, if sowing is done in spring, in cold areas, the number of seeds increases up to 50 plants per square meter. The researcher also recommends that the soil be well plowed, to avoid superficial crusting that can hinder germination. They also recommend sowing at a depth of between 1 and 5 centimeters and leaving a distance between rows of between 15 and 60 centimeters. Urquijo also points out that to achieve a yield of between 3 and 4 tons per hectare, it is usual to apply a fertilizer of 0-60-80 (N – P2O5P2o5-K2O). Grain ripening will be conditioned by high temperatures and dryness. The rotation of crops such as wheat, rapeseed or potato contributes to a healthier production by reducing the incidence of Anthracnose, the main pathology One of the biggest problems with this crop in Galicia seems to be Anthracnose, which appears disseminated at planting and ends up causing rot in the plant and in the fruit. One of the methods to reduce the incidence of this fungal disease is to use seed free of pathogens and produced in dry or semi-arid regions, and have certified seed. Another method is crop rotation. “Rotating crops such as lupine, wheat or rye, rapeseed and potatoes is a way to reduce the incidence of this pathogen,” explains the agronomist. However, in all the plantings carried out in the Ciam they did not have to resort to fungicides. Neither did they use herbicides to control competing weeds since it was an ecological trial and they did a mechanical control with a grade of spikes, a method that served to control them. “It is advisable to pass the grade when the plant has about 8 leaves, that is to say with a 3-month-old plant, since if you do it before, you end up uprooting a significant number of plants, since they are still very small,” the researcher details. . Moment of the intervention of the agronomist engineer, Luis Urquijo in the conferences held in Lalín. The Ciam experience In Ciam they had already carried out tests to include lupine in rotations with other grain crops in 1993 and in 2013. More recently they began a study in rotation with Rumbo wheat during the 2019-2020 campaign, without using fertilizer, herbicides or fungicides. They achieved a yield of 4 tons per hectare and a protein quality of 39.5%. “Alternating on this land with lupins allowed us to achieve a higher wheat yield, specifically 1,100 kilos more, achieving an increase of 48% when compared to wheat monoculture,” explains the agronomist. Alternating lupine with wheat allowed them to increase the wheat harvest by almost 50% than monoculture of the cereal Already during the 2021-2022 campaign, they carried out tests with white lupine alternating with three varieties of wheat: Rumbo, Estoril and Orden Dorado, without fertilizing, using herbicides or fungicides. They also sowed in October, February and March. Of the three varieties, the best results were achieved by the Rumbo variety, sown in mid-October. Specifically, with this variety of lupine a yield of 3,109 kilos per hectare was achieved, with a protein contribution of 40.6% and almost no incidence of anthracnose (6.5%), while in other varieties and dates this condition it reached 31 or 20%, in the case of Estoril. Production results from 21-2022. Thus, as Urquijo points out, based on the research carried out, this is an alternative to take into account in Galicia. “Lupin has a high productive potential in Galicia, between 2 to 4 tons per hectare, and a high percentage of protein (between 38 and 42%), in addition to improving the soil and its fertility”, highlights the agronomist . Moment of the debate that closed the conference on lupine held in Lalín, in which part of the speakers participated. Lupine, from different axes Other aspects of lupine that are of interest when assessing its cultivation in Galicia were also addressed at the conference. So the researcher Fernando Almeida ratified the good results it offers to combine with crops such as wheat, based on the research it carried out, also achieving better results with this legume than with the cereal monoculture. For his part, Jose Manuel Mateos-Cañero, a prominent connoisseur of lupine cultivation for the years that he has been marketing this seed, pointed out the potential of this legume. “Everything takes advantage of the lupine, and although it has been despised, in areas of Galicia it can be possible to achieve a 40% protein contribution.” When it comes to assessing the cultivation of lupine, Extremadura becomes a benchmark, not only because of the importance that this legume has had there, but also because there they are developing the only improvement program carried out in Spain and they have a germplasm bank with more than 2,000 ecotypes, of which more than 150 come from Galicia, as pointed out antonio garciaone of the researchers at the Center for Scientific and Technological Research of Extremadura (Cicytex) where these works are carried out and who also participated in the sessions via videoconference connection. Opening the door to a use of the lupine grain in Galicia for animal feed is one of the objectives that the speakers and attendees consider essential. In this sense, from Piensos del Sil, Manuel Fernandez pointed out the feasibility of using this grain for the preparation of rations and feed formulas, but the challenge is to achieve a stable supply of this grain so that it can begin to be firmly valued by the industries. #Keys #cultivation #lupine #Galicia