Controlling bitter-seed contamination in the NSW Lupinus albus industry.

The Australian Lupinus albus L. industry relies on being able to supply 100% low-alkaloid seed for animal feed and for human snack food. In 2000 it was discovered that some seed lots of commercial, sweet (low-alkaloid) cultivars in New South Wales were contaminated with bitter seeds (high alkaloid), mainly at low levels < 2% but up to a maximum of 13%. Albus lupin is partially outcrossing (~8%), and bitter plants have higher fitness, so that without corrective action, the contamination was projected to increase over time. An industry-wide plan was developed to help growers detect and eliminate contaminated seed lots. The main detection method used was a UV lamp which causes bitter seeds to fluoresce so that they can be easily counted and seed lots with contamination discarded. The aim was to reduce commercial contamination until new, 100% sweet cultivars were produced in order to replace the old contaminated stock. More recently, an industry wide education campaign has been conducted to ensure that new, high-yielding and disease-resistant cultivars are not contaminated by admixture or pollen movement from older contaminated cultivars .