bicides to be fully effective, or to avoid crop damage, application must only occur when there is sufficient soil moisture and the soil surface is level. Herbicides applied before seeding or split between pre and post-sowing can be safer than post-sowing if the soil will be left ridged (e.g. after using knife points).
Retaining stubble or plant residue from previous crops protects the soil from erosion, reduces soil moisture loss and assists in crop growth and height. If rolling is required on sloping ground or hardsetting soils, this may have to be done post-emergent to reduce the risk of water erosion or surface crusting. Rolling will flatten cereal stubble from previous crops
Remove excessively large clumps of stubble, otherwise they will cause seed placement and harvesting difficulties. Surface retention of cereal stubble does not affect lentil germination or growth, and can improve establishment on hardsetting, surface crusting soils. It may affect establishment though if seeding equipment cannot handle the stubble load or place seed accurately.
Where soils are below a pH 5 (CaCl2), lime applications should be considered before growing lentil.
SU injury to lentil due to soil persistence.
Iron deficiency in lentils.
Poor nodulation can cause stunting, yellowing and poor growth.
The roller does not place weight on the lentil plants as would happen on flatter soil.
Lentil dying under waterlogged conditions compared to better drained areas
Lentils can emerge through thick cereal stubble.
Wide row sowing of lentils is becoming more common.
Boron toxicity in lentil leaves showing typical leaf tip symptoms.
Imazethapyr (e.g. Spinnaker®) injury in conventional lentil plants (left) compared to an ‘imi’ tolerant (XT) lentil variety (right).
SU injury to lentil due to soil persistence.
Iron deficiency in lentils.
Poor nodulation can cause stunting, yellowing and poor growth.
The roller does not place weight on the lentil plants as would happen on flatter soil.
Lentil dying under waterlogged conditions compared to better drained areas
Lentils can emerge through thick cereal stubble.
Wide row sowing of lentils is becoming more common.
Boron toxicity in lentil leaves showing typical leaf tip symptoms.
Imazethapyr (e.g. Spinnaker®) injury in conventional lentil plants (left) compared to an ‘imi’ tolerant (XT) lentil variety (right).
Always use high quality seed. Lentil seed, like other pulse seeds, is susceptible to weathering impacts and mechanical damage at harvest. Loose seed coats and split, fractured or broken seeds reduce the germination percentage and can affect seedling vigour.
Test any retained seed for germination, vigour and disease, and avoid using seed with greater than 2% ascochyta infection. Check the seed analysis certificate for germination percentage and purity before purchase. Legislation requires that only the minimum germination test must be supplied on the label with certified seed. Be sure to ask for the seed analysis certificate and any disease testing for the seed lot being purchased.
Ascochyta blight and botrytis grey mould are seed-borne and can reduce germination and yield. Do not keep seed from severely diseased crops. See also 'Lentil: Integrated disease management'
A number of seed-borne viruses, including cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) and alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV), can affect lentil. Where possible, use seed that has been tested and certified free of viruses. See also 'Managing viruses in pulses'.
Aim for established plant densities of approximately 100–120 plants/m2.
Calculate the sowing rate (kg/ha) required for individual varieties according to their germination percentage and seed weight. The number of seeds that actually emerge is often less than the viable seed number sown due to non-vigorous seedlings, disease, herbicide damage or poor soil structure. Use previous or local experience to account for poorer emergence and, if necessary, increase the sowing rate.
Sow at a depth of 5–10 cm. Sowing at this depth helps to avoid herbicide damage from pre-emergent herbicides. Lentil emerges faster than