Program 1: Enhancing the nutritional quality of narrow-leafed lupin by reducing anti-nutritional seed alkaloid levels.

Australian sweet lupin, known as narrow-leafed lupin (NLL), plays a pivotal role in Australia's agriculture as a cost-effective protein source for animal feed. Australia contributes 85% of global lupin production, with 70% of it being exported to regions such as Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East. Western Australia, responsible for 80% of Australia's lupin production, benefits from lupins in crop rotations due to their adaptability to the region's climate and acidic soils, effectively breaking cereal disease cycles and providing valuable fixed nitrogen to cropping systems. With the global population nearing 9.8 billion by 2050 and a rising interest in plant-based diets, the Australian pulse industry, including lupins, sees a significant opportunity in the expanding plant protein market. NLLs, boasting high protein content, low starch, and low fat, have the potential to meet the growing demand for plant-based protein. However, their use in human consumption remains limited, with only around 4% of Australian NLLs utilised as food due to various challenges. Antinutritional factors, such as quinolizidine alkaloids (QAs), and inconsistencies in meeting alkaloid standards hinder their widespread use. Genetic variability, environmental factors, and management practices contribute to alkaloid variations, posing challenges for growers in producing consistent low-alkaloid lupins. This four-year investment seeks to address these challenges by developing lupin germplasm with stable, lower alkaloid seed levels and higher levels in vegetative tissue across diverse environmental conditions. This program* involves leveraging existing data, conducting glasshouse and field trials, identifying low alkaloid varieties, and validating candidate genes affecting alkaloid levels. Ultimately, this investment aims to provide growers with higher-value lupin varieties, enhancing agronomic and quality traits to optimize lupin utilisation in Australian farming systems and seize opportunities in the food and protein markets. *This is one of two Programs currently being procured. See also RFT Ref: PROC-9176950 titled Program 2: Enhancing the agronomic and nutritive value of narrow-leafed lupin by reducing seed coat thickness and increasing protein content.