liness and efficient harvesting is profitable. Grain losses of more than 800 kg/ha have occurred in commercial paddocks where harvesting has been poorly timed. Late rains or severe winds that flatten crops also play a part in yield and quality losses. Appropriate variety selection, paddock choice, crop management and using a harvester front that can be set low enough to pick up maximum pod numbers all help maximise harvest efficiency.
In the space of just 2–5 days a crop can go from one that is easy to harvest to one that is more difficult to harvest because of lodging. Delays can also reduce the harvest direction options as it may only be possible to harvest the crop in one direction due to lodging. This reinforces the importance of harvesting lentil crops as soon as they are ready.
Rotary harvesters are gentler on the crop and will generally cause less grain damage than conventional harvesters. Conventional machinery can be used for harvesting, but it is necessary to cut at ground level to get the crop to feed into the comb. Floating or flexible cutter bars are a distinct advantage, and blowers or a vortex reel enables lentil to be harvested lower to the ground and ensure good crop feed. Direct head at the minimum drum speed.
Thinner, shorter or lodged crops are more challenging and harvest direction may even have to be one-way only. An extended cutter bar table and air assistance will also be of value in reducing harvest losses. Harvesting with an open-front machine (with crop lifters) is possible in taller crops.
Lentils are easily threshed, so concave clearances should be opened and the drum speed reduced. Try a concave setting fully open at the front and half-closed at the back. Lentil seed is heavy compared with stem and leaf trash, so it is safe to use draft to remove trash.
Harvesting for quality grain
Grain quality is the highest priority when grown lentil as the grain is sold into the food market for human consumption. Most grain is sold off visual specifications. Buyers of red or green lentil do not want chipped, cracked, stained, de-hulled or insect-damaged grain. The larger seed of the green lentil can make them more prone to mechanical damage. Early harvest is important for quality, as well as for efficient harvesting and to avoid crop losses. To minimise seed damage and losses, harvest in cool, early morning conditions and using a combination of low drum speed and a wide concave clearance.
Lentil grain can be delivered at up to 14% moisture content where aerated storage is available, making an early harvest practical. Harvesting early, when some seeds and pods are still green is preferable to delaying until all seeds are dry. This avoids pod drop and shattering of the early pods and excessive lodging, but may necessitate the aeration of the harvested grain. The risk of ascochyta spoilage of seed increases with delayed harvest, especially during a wet summer. The seed coat colour of lentil will bleach if left in hot sunny conditions for long periods of time. Timing can often coincide with barley harvesting so priorities must be set.
It is often better to harvest lentil crops up and back or in the one direction only, rather than around the paddock. There can be a ‘frustration factor’ with growers cutting corners when harvesting lentil, resulting in grain quality problems at delivery. The high value of lentil well justifies spending a little more time and effort before and during harvest.
See also 'Meeting lentil market requirements'.
Harvesting for retained seed
Select an area as free as possible from diseases, pests and weed seed. Ensure that headers, bins, augers and other equipment are not contaminated with insects, cereal grain, weed seed or other lentil varieties as these can be almost impossible to remove during cleaning. Glyphosate is not registered for seed crops and should not be used in pulses intended for seed production or sprouting.
Grain storage and handling
Belt shifters are the recommended method of handling lentils as they can be damaged by auger flights. If an auger is used it should be ru