How has narrow-leafed lupin changed in its 1st 40 years as an industrial, broad-acre crop? A G × E-based characterization of yield-related traits in Australian cultivars

► We demonstrate how Australian narrow-leafed lupin breeding has changed over time, using multi-environment historical variety trials. ► Productivity, yield responsiveness, harvest index and fecundity have increased over time. ► Breeders have selected strongly for drought escape via temperature responsive phenology in the short season Mediterranean WA. ► Late phenology is confounded with vernalization, and effective in cool, long season eastern environments, but not in warm WA. ► Lupin potential, particularly in warm long season climates, is limited by low variation within each vernalization group.