Lentils - Production and Management

Lentils grow well on most well drained soil types. Yield can be severely reduced on wet, poorly drained soils, as root diseases will increase. Fields can be rolled post-emergence, up to the 4-6 inch height. Lentils are sensitive to herbicide residues.

 

Certain herbicides are residual in soil to varying degrees and under a range of field conditions. Examples include:

 

 

                                                               Group

atrazine (Atrazine)                                   5                                                    

clopyralid (Lontrel, Curtail)                     4

ethametsulfuron (Muster)                        2

flucarbazone (Everest)                            2

imazethapyr (Pursuit, Odyssey)             2

metsulfuron methyl (Ally)                         2

sulfosulfuron (Sundance)                        2

 

Seeding Lentils

 

Lentil seed can be treated with a fungicide treatment for the control of seed-borne ascochyta, and root rots and blights.

 

 

Lentils can be seeded early in the growing season. Lentils will tolerate several degrees of frost and will regrow if the above-ground portion is damaged. Yield will usually be reduced if lentils are seeded after the third week in May.

 

 

Market Class                                Days to Maturity

 

small red cotyledon                               91

                                                 

small yellow cotyledon                         91

                                                

medium yellow cotyledon                    96 

 

large yellow cotyledon                       100

 

 

 

Seeding rate will vary with seed size and germination. Target a plant population of approximately 10-14 plants/ft2. Small lentil varieties, such as Eston and Dark speckled, should be seeded at a rate of 30-40 lb/acre. Larger-seeded varieties, such as Laird, should be seeded at a rate of 70-80 lb/acre.

 

 

1 to 1.5 inches. Seed should be sown to moisture. Seeding depth should be increased in soils with a low water-holding capacity.

 

Weed control in lentils is important because lentils are a relatively non-competitive crop. Herbicides for the control of certain broadleaf weeds (Canada thistle, perennial sow thistle and dandelion) either are not available or provide less than acceptable control. Lentils must be sown to fields free of difficult-to-control perennial weeds such as Canada thistle and perennial sow thistle. Consider applying pre-harvest herbicides the year before growing lentils for perennial weed control.

 

Diseases in lentils are ascochyta blight, anthracnose, fusarium root rot, rhizoctonia root rot and sclerotinia. Anthracnose and ascochyta blight can cause severe yield loss in lentils.

 

Anthracnose can be first noticed as white to gray or cream-coloured spots develop on the leaflets and stem. They usually appear on the base of the stem and move up the plant canopy. Leaf drop occurs as the disease progresses.

 

Ascochyta blight also starts with light-gray to tan spots occurring on the leaflets, stems and pods, but will have a dark margin around the spot. The centres of the spots turn light-coloured and develop small black spots in them. The crop will look blighted in appearance. Both diseases can be managed by using a foliar fungicide program.

 

Crop rotation (growing lentils only once in four years), and the use of certified, disease-free seed will help to minimize the disease.

 

Root rots become evident at any stage from emergence to maturity. Individual plants become stunted, turn yellow, and die. Essentially the root system has been destroyed. Crop rotation may help. However, the wide host range of these diseases makes this a less than effective option.

 

 

Desiccation is useful when the crop is not uniform or weeds are prevalent. Consult the Guide to Crop Protection and product labels for specific directions for use.

 

 

A pickup reel will help in moving the plant material off the cutter bar onto the canvas. Swaths are very prone to blowing, so whenever possible they should be combined immediately after swathing. Lifter guards on the swather will allow for cutting close to the soil surface.

 

 

Lentils are considered dry at 14% moisture. However, lentils should be harvested at 16-18% to avoid excess splitting or cracking of the seed. Lentils thresh easily and a slow cylinder speed (400 rpm) will reduce cracking. Set the concave wide enough to avoid cracking.

 

 

Lentils can be safely be stored at 16%. When combined tough, lentils should be aerated to 14-16% seed moisture content.