The cultivation of lupine could largely cover the needs of our country in protein feed and lead to a reduction in the use of imported soybeans, which, in addition to being genetically modified to a very large extent, also contributes negatively to the import balance- exports after spending on its import close to 300 million dollars. The arable land with forage legumes such as lupine at the European level, unfortunately from 4.7% of the arable land they occupied in 1961, has decreased today to around 2%, even though the needs of ruminant animals in protein feed of plant origin have increased significantly. As far as Greece is concerned, in recent years the cultivation of livestock legumes shows a small increase, which is unable to meet the needs of domestic livestock farming. The cultivation of lupine in our country must be a top priority, since the advantages of this cultivation are multiple.

Lupine seeds have a high nutritional value, as they are high in protein and fiber and contain about the same amounts of lysine as soybean meal. Their cultivation presents significant environmental benefits, since it usually does not require special fertilizing, no irrigation is needed since the cultivation is in autumn, they enrich the soil with nitrogen and at the same time significantly improve the soil’s fertility. Cultivation of lupine, in areas where winter cereals are usually grown, presents increased economic benefits, because it has a relatively low production cost and almost twice the selling price of cereal fruits.

It can be cultivated in problematic areas of our country, that is, in mountainous, semi-mountainous and island areas, where usually the soils are less fertile and where there is a lack of irrigable water and contribute dynamically to the increase of agricultural income in these areas. Domestic forage legumes can still contribute to the further promotion of organic livestock farming and increase the production of organic livestock products.

The Operational Plan is a first for Greece, since for the first time an attempt is made to replace imported soybean meal with domestic lupine production in the context of a balanced ration, which will fully cover the needs of the animals based on their production stage. At the same time, an effort will be made, aiming at the health of farmed ruminants, to enhance their productivity (milking cows) and their development (growing calves) with zero or reduced, if possible, use of soybean meal respecting the principles and legislation governing organic livestock.

Finally, for the first time, the lupine seeds used will undergo heat treatment in a special machine, which causes heat denaturation of protease inhibitors, improving the nutritional value of its seeds, which become highly digestible. Heat-treated lupine seeds can now be included in the rations of dairy cows, with the aim of reducing the use of soybean meal as much as possible, without adverse effects on the consumption of dry matter, milk production (adult cows) and the development of the female sires of the specific herd. breeding (calves).