Episode 7

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Published on:

22nd May 2026

From Lentils to Lupins: Protecting Australia's Pulse Crops

Dr. Lars Kamphuis is an associate professor at Curtin University and the deputy director of the Center for Crop Disease Management where he focuses on crop diseases that impact Australian farmers. The center collaborates extensively with state departments and universities around the country to research diseases relevant to growers throughout Australia. Kamphuis was born and raised in The Netherlands and studied plant breeding and crop protection at Wageningen University. He then had the opportunity to do research in Australia and says he just never left. In this episode, he shares about his experiences with lupins and why the crop is fitting in well in some Australian rotations. He also discusses his work with Sclerotiania stem rot, fungicide resistance and the ascochyta issues Australian farmers have had to deal with.

“ A lupin is kind of what we would call an orphan crop. It's not very well known around the globe, but it has a tremendous value. So it does really well in sandy and acidic soils, which is particularly a problem here in Western Australia. So for some of our Australian grain growers, where they have to give breaks to their cereal and canola crops, they need a viable pulse crop in these sandy acidic soils and lupins are a perfect fit.” - Dr. Lars Kamphuis

This Week on Growing Pulse Crops:

  • Meet Dr. Lars Kamphuis, an associate professor at Curtin University and the deputy director of the Center for Crop Disease Management
  • Explore the introduction and benefits to adding Lupins in pulse crop rotations in Australia
  • Understand the challenges of Sclerotiania stem rot, fungicide resistance and ascochyta issues faced by Australian farmers
  • Learn more about the ongoing ascochyta research from our episode in season two with Dr. Kampuis’s colleague, Dr. Jenny Davidson

Growing Pulse Crops is produced by Dr. Audrey Kalil and hosted by Tim Hammerich of the Future of Agriculture Podcast.

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About the Podcast

Growing Pulse Crops
The science and business of farming field peas, chickpeas, and lentils
This show features the latest in research, agronomy, and economics of pulse crops (peas, chickpeas, lentils, etc.).

Demand for these nutrient-dense, high-protein foods continues to grow. There is also interest from farmers to include more pulses into diverse rotations for benefits like nitrogen fixation and soil health.

But the industry continues to face challenges, and we are eager to address these head on. So if you’re a pulse grower or in any way interested in these important crops, hit subscribe and stay tuned for future episodes. We’ll be back with plenty of information about challenges pulse farmers are facing throughout the U.S. and what solutions are working.

Brought to you by the Pulse Crops Working Group with support from the Northern Pulse Growers Association

About your host

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Tim Hammerich

I share stories about agriculture, agtech, and agribusiness on podcasts and radio.