sive rainfall during the growing season encourages vegetative growth, which limits yield and can reduce seed quality.
- Excessive drought and/or high temperatures during flowering and pod-fill also reduce yields.
- Harvest as soon as the crop is mature. Lentil crops can turn brittle once fully matured and can be prone to shattering, especially following summer rainfall.
- To maximise grain quality, handle the seed carefully and avoid equipment blockages.
- Harvest during cooler conditions to improve harvest efficiency and reduce the risk of fire.
- Consider on-farm storage of lentil grain to enable access to more lucrative markets after harvest.
Lentil is a high quality human consumption product with limited options for grain that does not meet the expectations of buyers. To achieve the high quality grain required involves careful planning and attention to detail throughout the cropping season. See also 'Meeting lentil market requirements'.
Lentil plants are hypogeal, like field pea (shown in the figure below), which means the cotyledons of the germinating seed remain below the ground and inside the seed coat. Seedlings with hypogeal emergence are less likely to be killed by frost, wind erosion or insect attack as new stems can develop from buds at nodes at or below ground level. Their growth may however be slowed considerably.
Lentil plants are slender, semi-erect, bushy annuals with compound leaves (4 to 7 pairs of leaflets), similar to vetch leaves, with a tendril at each tip. Plants can have single stems or many branches, depending upon the population in the field. The many stems of a lentil plant originate from near the ground and are better supported where the crop is sown inter-row, between the rows of last season’s cereal stubble.
Plants normally range from 30 to 50 cm in height. Plants generally grow taller when the growing season temperatures are cool and there is good moisture and good soil fertility. Despite their relatively short plant height, many crops lodge late in spring due to their weak stems, particularly if well grown with high crop biomass and high yields.
Flowering begins on the lowest branches, gradually moving up the plant and continuing until harvest. Flowers can be white, lilac or pale blue in color and are self-pollinated. Lentil plants flower profusely over a short period and set many pods, with each pod containing one or two seeds depending on the growing season conditions. Because of their indeterminate growth habit it is possible to find flowers, immature pods and mature pods on a plant at the same time, meaning that crop desiccation may be required as an aid to harvest.
Seeds are small in comparison with other pulses and are a characteristic lens shape.
Hypogeal emergence protects lentil seedlings from the effects of frost and insect damage at crop establishment.
Flowering begins on the lowest branches, gradually moving up the plant and continuing until harvest.
Sowing lentils between rows of cereal stubble helps prevent lodging and improves harvest efficiency.
Lentils grown in Australia are divided into two groups based on seed size and cotyledon colour. Each group has distinct end uses and markets.
Be aware of the necessity to market on a variety basis and ensure that complete variety segregation occurs to avoid variety contamination. Careful planning and management is required to minimise risks of cross-contamination when changing varieties grown. See also ‘Lentil: Variety cross contamination’.
Price premiums for small-seeded types (e.g. PBA Hurricane XT and Nipper) or large-seeded types (e.g. PBA Jumbo2, PBA Jumbo and Aldinga) have occurred in the past, as well as discounts based on supply and market size or demand (e.g. Aldinga).
Varieties with ascochyta blight and botrytis grey mould resistance, including PBA Ace, PBA Herald XT and PBA Jumbo2, are suited to localities prone to foliar diseases. PBA Blitz, PBA Bolt and PBA Flash are earlier maturing than some older varieties and suit shorter growing season areas or delayed sowing. PBA Hurricane XT, Herald XT, PBA Bounty are small-seed