Lupine feed for animals

Not everyone knows what lupine is, why this plant is grown and where it can be used in agriculture. For this reason, the culture is not widely popular in Russia. Meanwhile, the plant has a high agricultural value. If we consider the fodder species, several varieties are especially popular, which differ in color and the amount of harvest.

What does fodder lupine look like?

The plant belongs to the legume family. You can guess this yourself if you look closely at the flowers. Each bud resembles a pea or bean inflorescence.

Forage lupine on an industrial scale

Lupine forage has the following botanical description:

• The fodder cultivar is an annual herb.
• The bush reaches 1 m in height and the root is 1.5 m in depth.
• The deciduous part resembles the crown of palm trees.
• The flower has a zygomorphic oval or elongated shape.
• The seeds resemble small beans with a slightly concave shape. The color of the seeds is close to beige.

Varieties of seeds of different varieties of lupine

Lupine in agriculture is a herbaceous annual plant with high nutritional value.

Common varieties

The most popular varieties in agriculture are:

• yellow;
• narrow-leaved;
• blue;
• white;
• bush.

In nature, there are more than 300 varieties that have individual distinctive features.

The plant has attracted human attention for a very long time. The flower was actively planted near the dwelling.

The culture of growing plants of the genus Lupine in agriculture appeared much later - during the development of selection as a science. Lupine for livestock feed began to grow only in 1998. The culture is 40% protein and does not require special growing conditions or care. Today the flower is becoming a competitor to soybeans.

How a plant is grown for animal feed

Is it possible to feed animals with lupine

Whether it is possible to give lupine to animals is a question that interests livestock breeders. The answer is yes.

Currently, the fruits of the plant are added to compound feed for feeding animals and birds. But it is important to choose the right variety for a specific type of animal or bird.

• Lupine for chickens

There is an exact recommendation regarding whether it is possible to give lupine to chickens. In the process of making chicken feed, this plant is often used. It is advisable to use white lupine for laying hens and broilers, but in a different percentage. In the diet of the former - 15%, the latter - 20%.

If an agricultural crop is so nutritious and healthy, then the question arises - is it possible for chickens to have wild lupine? In small quantities, you can mix seeds or color into the main feed. Spontaneous use during walking is allowed. But it is not recommended to specially collect to feed the bird.

• Lupine for cows

It is sometimes difficult to determine exactly whether cows can use lupines. It is strictly forbidden for cows and pigs to eat blue and purple varieties - the quality of milk deteriorates and bitterness appears in the meat. It is better to use a white variety, as for chickens.

• Lupine on the hay

Is it possible to mow this type of grass for hay without waiting for the seeds to ripen? It is advisable to dry more white varieties than others. The plant must be mixed with other herbs.

Features of the cultivation of fodder lupine

White lupine, whose cultivation technology is very simple, is especially popular with many farmers who have already considered the benefits of this new crop.

To get a good harvest, you need to properly sow and care for the grass. The plant is considered unpretentious and easy to grow.

Cultivation of lupine in the fields

It is important to choose the right place, organize watering, and do regular spraying. In order for the yield to be high, it is desirable to prepare a nutritious soil.

• Lighting

You can plant a wolf bean culture in the fields, in open areas. You can plant lupine for feeding livestock in the garden. The plant is not afraid of light partial shade.

• Watering

When sowing in a field, irrigation is difficult to organize, but the culture can tolerate drought. With watering, the yield will be higher. Therefore, large agricultural enterprises that have watering machines in their fleet benefit.

Growing lupine

• Spraying

It is necessary to spray with herbicides against pests. The procedure is carried out one month after germination.

• Priming

In order for lupine to grow and develop well, you need to choose a soil with a loamy, sandy loam and sod-podzolic composition. Organic fertilizers can be applied. The acidity of the soil should have a pH of 5.7-6.5.

• Top dressing

It is not enough to plant a plant, you need to make periodic feeding. It is worth using phosphorus, potassium and trace elements in the form of boron and molybdenum.

When and how it blooms

Lupine fodder for animals is valuable not only during ripening, but also at the time of flowering. The value lies in the aesthetic appeal.

Lupine bloom

• Flowering period

The culture begins to bloom at the end of May, less often at the beginning of June. Flowers can be observed for 3 weeks. The buds begin to bloom, starting from the bottom, and moving towards the top of the spikelet.

• Changes in care during flowering

During the flowering period, it is allowed to apply fertilizers, but only organic and in small quantities. In order for the flowering to be lush and the seeds to be of high quality, you need to organize good watering.

Flower appearance

• Seed ripening time

Seeds ripen by August. After harvesting and drying, you can feed the animals in 1-2 weeks.

How to propagate by seed - a quick guide

The easiest way to grow a plant is from seeds. Sowing should be done in the spring when the soil is still wet. If the plantation will be sown small, then it can be propagated by dividing the bush.

Sowing guide:

1. Make small grooves about 1-2 cm deep.
2. Moisten the soil so that the seeds germinate faster and do not deteriorate.
3. Spread the seeds evenly along the "trench".
4. Sprinkle the planting material with soil. Do not tamp the earth.

Seed for propagation

After about 15-20 days, the first shoots will appear if sown in spring. Sometimes the planting material is laid in the fall.

Possible growing problems

Agricultural lupine is practically not exposed to diseases, pests also rarely attack the crop. But there are still problems.

• Diseases

Lupine for animal feed is not susceptible to disease. Powdery mildew may appear if the weather is too dry or windy.

• Pests

As with all plants of the fodder genus, a spider mite or caterpillar may appear on this crop. But such pests rarely affect the culture and affect a small number of plants.

• Other problems

Growing a fodder variety of flowers

This forage plant is not problematic in terms of cultivation and maintenance. Very rarely, pests or diseases appear. But they will not be able to cause the death of culture.

In conclusion, we note once again that not every variety can be fed to animals or poultry as feed. There are several well-known varieties that are specifically designed for this. Farmers or heads of agricultural enterprises should definitely pay attention to this crop.