Homegrown protein: Trialling lupins for a UK breeding programme

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This innovative project will provide the critical first step in a project that will provide UK farmers with a much-needed profitable break crop alternative to OSR and help to reduce dependence on imported soya. Arable farmers urgently need technology that reduces inputs, reduces disease and enables a better profit. As a nitrogen-fixing break crop with excellent protein content, lupins could enhance agriculture at a global scale. However, as a relatively newly domesticated species, an intensive breeding programme is needed to optimise varieties for a range of environments. This project will assess white lupins (_L. albus_) in the UK to identify genetic material with traits useful for a subsequent breeding programme focused on developing varieties better suited to UK and temperate conditions. The core innovation comes from previous work on genetic analysis of _L. albus_ that will enable introduction of novel germplasm and rapid recovery of the elite germplasm traits, most notably low alkaloid content. Wild lupins have high alkaloid content making them bitter and unpalatable. Current breeding programmes of _L. albus_ have been limited to a relatively narrow range of germplasm, all descended from a single source, in order to maintain low-alkaloids in the crop. As a result, much of the diversity of the domesticated portion of the species, and the potentially useful traits contained within, has been under-utilised. Now, with our unique knowledge of _L. albus_ genetics, this diversity can be integrated into a marker assisted breeding programme focused on improving lupins for UK and temperate agriculture. This project will conduct the initial field trials of a wide range of _L. albus_ material to assess and identify the most useful lines for the subsequent breeding programme. The early stage project will enhance the knowhow of Secure Harvests Ltd. (the applicant company, a UK SME), leveraging private investment in a large scale breeding programme. As such benefits to both SHL and the UK economy are expected, making this project excellent value for money for both the company and the public purse.