rieties or production systems like inter-row sowing into standing stubble produce more erect stands at harvest than others. Pods may develop at all levels of the crop and ripening can be uneven if the season is extended. Croptopping (for weed control) or desiccation can ensure a quicker and more uniform ripening of the crop. Plants growing in wheel tracks may ripen later and usually need to be desiccated for harvest. Timing of desiccation or croptopping is critical for grain quality because premature desiccation of wheel tracks or later maturing areas in a paddock can lead to grain quality issues in the harvested sample (e.g. green kernel or stained seed coats).
Monitor crops regularly as harvest time approaches. Harvest lentil when the lower pods have turned pale brown in colour and the seeds rattle in those pods. The seed that develops from the first flowers (those lowest on the plant) will mature before seed from the later flowers. Sample seed from at least 20 plants from a minimum of six sites across the paddock and test for moisture content. Seed moisture content of 15% is satisfactory for harvest but grain needs to be at 12–13% for safe storage. Harvest seed crops first, as the higher moisture content makes the seed less prone to harvest damage and should have a better germination percentage if stored and handled correctly.
Lentil crops generally ripen unevenly and many current varieties are short and tend to lodge. Crops that remain upright at maturity are more prone to pod drop during hot windy conditions, so early harvest is essential to capture the yield produced unless the standing stubble can provide sufficient protection from the wind.
Stems and some foliage may still be green when the grain is ready to harvest. Crop desiccation may assist uniform, quick ripening or dry any green plants and late infestations of weeds. Apply the desiccant when 50% of the crop has turned pale brown then harvest before the pods become brittle.
Harvesting as early as possible is extremely important, and attention to timeliness 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 w