Livestock production in the European Union EU is highly dependent on imported soybean, exposing the livestock farming system to risks related to the global trade of soybean. Lupin species could be a realistic sustainable alternative source of protein for animal feeding. Lupinus is a very diverse genus with many species. However, only four of them—namely, L. albus, L. angustifolius, L. luteus and L. mutabilis—are cultivated. Their use in livestock farming systems has many advantages in relation to economic and environmental impact. Generally, lupin grains are characterized by high protein content, while their oil content is relatively low but of high quality. On the other hand, the presence of quinolizidine alkaloids and their specific carbohydrate composition are the main antinutritional factors that prevent their use in animal feeding. This research is mainly related to L. albus and to L. angustifolius, and to a lesser extent, to L. lauteus and L. mutabilis. The breeding efforts are mostly focused on yield stabilization, resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, biochemical structure associated with seed quality and late maturing. Progress is made in improving lupin with respect to the seed quality, as well as the tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress. It has to be noted that modern cultivars, mostly of L. albus and L. angustifolius, contain low levels of alkaloids. However, for future breeding efforts, the implementation of marker-assisted selection and the available genomic tools is of great importance.

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Production and nutritive value of forage in silvopastural systems can be improved by introducing shade‐ tolerant grass and legume species in appropriate mixtures. The management of these systems can present a challenge regarding the selection of the proper grass and legume species as well as the maintenance of the optimum balance between the two species in the grass–legume stand. The objectives of the present study were to evaluate the performance of pure stands and mixtures (75:25, 50:50, 25:75) of Dactylis glomerata:Trifolium subterraneum under full sun, 60% shade and 90% shade. Dry matter production of D. glomerata was not affected by shading, while that of T. subterraneum was drastically reduced. Shading increased the crude protein (CP) and acid detergent lignin content, but did not affect the acid detergent fibre and neutral detergent fibre content. The dry matter production of the 75:25 and 25:75 mixtures was higher compared to the one of the 50:50 mixture, while the CP content of the 75:25 mixture was the highest under moderate shading. However, relative yield, aggressivity index and competitive balance index indicated higher competitive ability for D. glomerata compared with T. subterraneum especially under shade. Therefore, the 25:75 mixture is suggested as the most suitable under moderate shade (60%), to perpetuate the stand and avoid the frequent re‐sowing of T. subterraneum.

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