2 research outputs found
Diversity and Agronomic Performance of Lupinus mutabilis Germplasm in European and Andean Environments
Original ResearchThe introduction of Lupinus mutabilis (Andean lupin) in Europe will provide a new source
of protein and oil for plant-based diets and biomass for bio-based products, while
contributing to the improvement of marginal soils. This study evaluates for the first
time the phenotypic variability of a large panel of L. mutabilis accessions both in their
native environment and over two cropping conditions in Europe (winter crop in the
Mediterranean region and summer crop in North-Central Europe), paving the way for the
selection of accessions adapted to specific environments. The panel of 225 accessions
included both germplasm pools from the Andean region and breeding lines from Europe.
Notably, we reported higher grain yield in Mediterranean winter-cropping conditions
(18 g/plant) than in the native region (9 g/plant). Instead, North European summercropping
conditions appear more suitable for biomass production (up to 2 kg/plant).
The phenotypic evaluation of 16 agronomical traits revealed significant variation in the
panel. Principal component analyses pointed out flowering time, yield, and architecturerelated
traits as the main factors explaining variation between accessions. The Peruvian
material stands out among the top-yielding accessions in Europe, characterized by early
lines with high grain yield (e.g., LIB065, LIB072, and LIB155). Bolivian and Ecuadorian
materials appear more valuable for the selection of genotypes for Andean conditions
and for biomass production in Europe. We also observed that flowering time in the
different environments is influenced by temperature accumulation. Within the panel,
it is possible to identify both early and late genotypes, characterized by different
thermal thresholds (600 C–700 C and 1,000–1,200 C GDD, respectively). Indications
on top-yielding and early/late accessions, heritability of morpho-physiological traits,
and their associations with grain yield are reported and remain largely environmental specific, underlining the importance of selecting useful genetic resources for specific
environments. Altogether, these results suggest that the studied panel holds the genetic
potential for the adaptation of L. mutabilis to Europe and provide the basis for initiating
a breeding program based on exploiting the variation described hereininfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio