A COMPARISON OF SEED YIELDS OF WINTER GRAIN LEGUMES IN WESTERN-AUSTRALIA

Field trials were conducted in 2 seasons at 13 sites on neutral to alk aline soils in Western Australia, to compare the growth and seed yield of 6 winter grain legume species: field pea (Pisum sativum L.), chick pea (Cicer arietinum L.), faba bean (Vicia faba L.), lentil (Lens culi naris Medik), narrow leaf lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.), albus lupi n (L. albus). In a dry year (1991), overall site mean seed yield was h ighest for field pea (1.35 t/ha), then faba bean (1.22 t/ha) and narro w leaf lupin (0.85 t/ha). Chickpea, lentil line ILL5728, and albus lup in produced an average seed yield of 0.64 t/ha. Rainfall in 1992 was a bove average and seed yields of all species except field pea were high er than in 1991. Heavy rainfall in winter and spring caused transient waterlogging at several sites, affecting growth and seed yield of most species. Faba bean responded positively to the increase in rainfall a nd produced exceptional seed yields of >4 t/ha at 3 sites. Mean seed y ield was highest for faba bean, at 2.87 t/ha, then narrow leaf lupin ( 1.19 t/ha), chickpea (1.1 t/ha), and field pea (1.0 t/ha). Field pea p erformed poorly at several sites due to its susceptibility to transien t waterlogging and black spot disease (caused by Mycosphaerella pinoid es). Albus lupin and lentil line ILL5728 produced similar seed yields (0.78 t/ha). Lentil cvv. Laird (1991) and Kye (1992) had low seed yiel ds due to poor adaptation. Seed yield differences between species at v arious locations were not simply related to any soil chemical paramete rs or to depth to clay. On a calcareous soil of pH(CaCl2) 8 at Dongara , the growth of narrow leaf lupin was severely affected and the crop f ailed. Days to flowering varied between species; faba bean was earlies t to flower (76 days), then field pea. Faba bean and field pea (partic ularly in 1991) generally produced the most dry matter, both early and at final harvest. The relationship between seed yield and rainfall wa s complicated by transient waterlogging and fungal disease (e.g. black spot in field pea) at many sites. Seed yield was significantly positi vely related to final dry matter production but not to harvest index.