Early-flowering plants were selected from a field population of Lupinus angustifolius and from field and X-ray-treated populations of L. digitatus. One naturally-occurring dominant gene for earliness was isolated in each species, together with an artificially-induced recessive, unlinked to the dominant, in L. digitatus. To evaluate the different genotypes for breeding purposes, and to analyse the factors of the Western Australian environment controlling their flowering time, sowings of all genotypes were made with and without artificial vernalization, over a range of sowing dates, and in a range of environments differing mainly in temperature. Effects on flower initiation were estimated from times of flowering and first flowering node numbers. Flowering of L. angustifolius was found to be controlled mainly by its vernalization requirement. In L. digitatus, vernalization, a dark period inhibition, and an acceleration of flower initiation by high temperatures all appeared to be important. The dominant genes of both species removed all effective vernalization requirement, while the recessive in L. digitatus may have removed or relaxed a dark period inhibition. It was concluded that all three earliness genes would be useful in extending the cultivation ranges of the two species.

A search among field populations of Lupinus angustifolius L. and L. digitalus Forsk. yielded two morphologically and genetically distinct lines in each species with markedly reduced pod-shattering at maturity. In all four lines, reduced shattering was found to be due to a single recessive gene, the two genes of each species being non-allelic and probably unlinked. Double homozygotes were obtained, and proved to be fully non-shattering in both species. The anatomical changes resulting in reduced- or non-shattering are of at least two types. In one type of each species there is fusion of the normally divided strips of sclerenchyma in the pod seams, similar to that in the non-shattering Strain 3535A of L. luteus. In the others there is a weakening of the sclerified inner layer (endocarp) of the pod walls, similar to that in L. albus, L. mutabilis, and many other cultivated legumes. It is suggested that at least two independent homologous series of genes control pod-shattering in the genus Lupinus.

Controlled environment studies of the effects of vernalization, photoperiod, and growing period temperatures were carried out on selected cultivars of four annual Lupinus species. All responded to both vernalization and photoperiod to varying degrees, and in at least two there were indications of an additional effect of growing period temperatures specifically on flower initiation. Flower initiation in L. angustifolius was found to be controlled mainly by its vernalization requirement, with subsidiary control by photoperiod. In L. cosentini vernalization, photoperiod, and an acceleration of initiation by high temperatures all appeared to play important roles, with critical control by photoperiod under short days. L. luteus responded strongly to both vernalization and photoperiod, but long days were able to substitute for vernalization to a marked degree. The results are discussed in the context of the ecology of lupins and the breeding of new crop cultivars.

Ninety naturalized and four commercially introduced subterranean clover strains present in Western Australia were examined. Flowering time, hardseededness, contents of the oestrogenic isoflavones formononetin, genistein, and biochanin A, and plant morphological characteristics were measured in spaced plants. Probabilities of random relationships were calculated for all character pairs. Wide variation was found among strains for all characters measured. A number of strains had low oestrogenic isoflavone contents. Levels of the three isoflavones appeared to vary independently of each other and of all other characters. Hardseededness decreased with lateness of maturity, but evidence is adduced that the relationship was not causal. Correlations were recorded among several morphological characters. Some 20 naturalized, non-commercial strains were selected as worthy of further agronomic study.

The oligosaccharide compositions of 33 lupin seed accessions and cultivars, from 10 species, are reported. Seed weights varied from 3.8 to 66.6 g/100 seeds. Total oligosaccharide content ranged from just under lo%, to almost 23% dry matter. In all cases the quantity of oligosaccharides (raffinose, stachyose and verbascose) was higher than that of disacharides (sucrose and melibiose). Verbascose ranged from 0.0 to 33.4% of total oligosaccharide content, and raffinose from 4.7 to 47.4%. Stachyose was the predominant and most constant sugar in majority of the seeds examined, the highest level (75%) being recorded in one line of L. hispanicus. The amounts of stachyose and verbascose, which are considered to be of major importance as 'flatus factors', were higher than those recorded for most established legume crops, although considerable variation was found between lupin species and some within a lupin species. Sufficient variability appears to be present within L. angustifolius in total oligosaccharides, and to a smaller extent in component saccharides [other than that apparently associated with existing domestication gene(s)] to warrant selection for improved saccharide composition as part of the breeding process.