PREDICTORS OF YIELD OF LUPINUS-ANGUSTIFOLIUS (CV GUNGURRU) SEEDLOTS FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES IN WESTERN-AUSTRALIA

The growth and yield of 97 seedlots of Gungurru narrow-leafed lupins ( Lupinus angustifolius L.) from Western Australia were assessed to iden tify geographical source or nutritional and physical parameters in the seed that can be used to predict the yield potential of a seedlot. Se edlots were obtained from the 1990 harvest on farms in the south-weste rn cropping region of Western Australia, with up to 7 seedlots from ea ch of 14 crop variety recommendation areas. Each seed lot was assessed for seed size (mean 144 mg), germination percentage (mean 87%), cucum ber mosaic virus seed infection (mean 0.11%), and several seed nutrien ts. Seedlots were sown at 100 kg/ha (without adjusting for germination or seed size) at 4 sites in Western Australia in 1991. Plant density, shoot dry weight (at 6 weeks), and grain yield varied significantly a mong seedlots, with average grain yield ranging from 951 to 1478 kg/ha (I.s.d. = 240 kg/ha at P = 0.05). Seed size influenced (P < 0.001) st and density (r = -0.33) and shoot dry weight (r = 0.58) but not grain yield (r = 0.09, n.s.). No seed nutrient was more than weakly associat ed with grain yield, nor was there an association of seedlot yield wit h geographical source of seed. High germination percentage and low cuc umber mosaic virus infection were the main predictors of high grain yi eld in this experiment, but accounted for only 40% of the yield varian ce among seedlots.