LENTIL

Lentil (Lens esculenta Moench syn) also known as Masur is a leguminous crop. It is
recognized as one of the most nutritious pulse crops, ranking next to chickpea amongst rabi
pulses. It is one of the oldest pulse crops. It is also used as a cover crop to check the soil erosion
in problem areas. The plants are ploughed back into the soil as green manure also. It derives the
name Lens from the lens shaped seeds. In Indian subcontinent, it is commonly consumed as dal,
which are deep orange red or orange yellow in colour. The whole grain is also used in some of
the dishes. It is also rich in protein (26%), calcium (560 ppm), iron (7.54 mg) and niacin. It has
the lowest content of lectins and trypsin inhibitors among legumes. Since it is a leguminous crop,
it improves the fertility of soil biological nitrogen fixation. Lentil seeds also provide a source of
starch for textiles and printing. Lentil floor is used for thickening of soups. It is mixed with
wheat flour in bread and cake production. It is also ground into flour to make variety of
preparations. It is also used in preparation of several snacks and sweets. The dry leaves and
stems, empty pods and broken bits all are used as cattle feed. Lentil residues form important
livestock feed.
Origin
Lentil or masur is one of the oldest crops that originated in near East and Mediterranean
region. It was known to ancients in Egypt and Greece. It had spread to Europe, India and China,
and now it is introduced and cultivated in most sub-tropical and warm temperate regions.
Area, Production and Productivity
Globally lentil shares only 5% of the total area under pulses. This pulse crop is
predominantly grown in Asia followed by north and eastern Africa, north central America and
southern Europe. Lentils are relatively tolerant to drought and are grown throughout the world.
World production of lentils for 2009 was 3.917 million metric tonnes, primarily coming from
Canada, India, Turkey and United States. About a quarter of the worldwide production of lentils
is from India. It is grown throughout northern and central India. In India during 2008-09, Uttar
pardesh, Madhya Pardesh, Bihar and West Bengal contributed more than 90% of the total area
and production of lentil at national level. But highest productivity was recorded in U.P. Our
national productivity was 705kg/ha against 2,111 kg/ha in Australia.
Area (m ha) Production (m tonnes) Yield (kg / ha)

MP 0.61 0.42 679

UP 0.44 0.24 537
Rajasthan 0.04 0.04 929
India 1.47 1.04 705

Classification
There are two cultivated species of genus Lens i.e. Lens esculenta Moench and Lens culinaris
Medik. The cultivated species L. esculenta are classified into 2 sub groups according to size of
the seed.
Sub-species microsperma (Small seeded): They have small seed of 2-6 mm diameter and are
produced in India, Africa and Asia. Pods are complex and small.
Sub-species macrosperma (Bold seeded): They have large seeds of 6-9 mm diameter and are
grown in Mediterranean region and North America. Mostly pods are flat and large.
Climatic requirement
It requires cold temperature during its vegetative growth and warm temperature at the time of
maturity. It is very hardy and can tolerate frost and severe winter to a great extent. Unlike
chickpea, it remains unaffected by rains at any stage of its growth, including flowering and
fruiting.The optimum temperature for its growth and development ranges from 18 to 30°C.
Soil requirement
Lentil is grown on a wide range of soils ranging from light loamy sand to heavy clay soil in
northern parts and in moderately deep, light black soils in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
Well drained, loam soils with neutral reaction are best for lentil cultivation. Acidic soils are not
fit for growing lentil.
Crop rotation
Lentil is generally grown as rainfed crop during rabi after rice, maize, pearl millet,
sorghum and cotton. It is also grown as an intercrop in autumn-planted sugarcane. Two lines of
lentil may be sown 30 cm apart in the center of 2 sugarcane rows. In north-eastern plains, it is
also grown as utera crop after rice. Intercropping of linseed+ lentil (2:1), lentil+ mustard (4-6:1)
in Bundel khand region of Uttar Pradesh is also promising. Lentil is relatively more shade
tolerant than chickpea. Hence, it performs better in mixed and intercropping systems.
Field preparation
Soil should be made friable and weed free so that seed could be placed at a uniform
depth. In case of light soils, less tillage is required to prepare an ideal seed-bed. In heavy soils,
after harvest of kharif crop, one deep ploughing followed by 2-3 cross harrowing should be
given. After harrowing, the field should be leveled by giving a gentle slope for easy irrigation.
There should be proper moisture in the soil at the time of sowing for proper germination of
seeds. In utera/ paira cropping system of rice-lentil in eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa,
Madhya Pradesh, seeds are sown in standing rice crop and therefore no tillage is done.
Sowing time
The seed is sown in second fortnight of October under rainfed conditions. However, it
can be sown in the month of November in irrigated areas. Under late-sown conditions, the seed
can be sown up to first week of December. However, a reduction in 20% grain yield will take
place as compared to normal sowing.
Seed rate
The seed rate is 30- 40 kg/ha for small-seeded varieties and 45—50 kg/ha for boldseeded
varieties and late sowing. Treat the seed with Benomyl or Aagrosan GN @ 2 g/kg of seed before
sowing. The lentil seed should be treated with rhizobium culture before sowing. After wetting
the seed with jaggery solution, mix it thoroughly with rhizobium inoculant, dry in shade and sow
the seed thereafter immediately.
Method of sowing
Show the crop with plough or seed drill in lines with row spacing of 22.5 cm. Under late
sown condition the crop can be planted at 18 cm spacing.
Varieties
The small-seeded varieties resistant to rust are Pant L 406, Pant L 639, Pant L 4 and LL l47 and
bold-seeded varieties resistant to rust and tolerant to wilt are Lens 4076, LH 844, DPL 15 and
DPL 62. Bold seeded variety JL 3 released for Central Zone is tolerant to wilt.
The other high yielding bold seeded recommended varieties are
Haryana Masar 1: It is recommended for cultivation in whole Haryana. It is a small seeded
variety and released for cultivation in 2005. The plants of this variety are medium growing and
leaves have dark green colour. It matures in about 140 days and average yield is 16.0- 17.5 q/ha.
Sapna : It is bold seeded variety recommended for irrigated areas. It matures in about 140 days
and average yield is 15 q/ha. Seeds are with small blackish tints.
Garima : It is recommended for irrigated areas and various type of soils for timely sowing in
Haryana.The leaves are broader and dark green in colour. Its seed size is bolder than Sapna along
with blackish spots. It gives an average yield of 15 q/ha just in 135 days of duration.
High yielding bold seeded varieties of lentil recommended for different states

High yielding small seeded varieties of lentil recommended for different states
Fertilizer requirement
The recommended dose of fertilizers is 20 kg N and 40 kg P2O5/ha. Conveniently, 100
kg/ha diammonium phosphate may be added. Full dose of fertilizers should be applied at sowing
time. In some areas Zinc deficiency is generally observed after 4 weeks of sowing. The leaves
become chlorotic at the tips. In such fields ZnSO4 should be applied @ 25 kg/ha at the time of
sowing and if the symptoms appear after sowing than spray 1 kg ZnSO4 +5 kg urea solution in
250 lt of water.
Irrigation management
Providing one or two irrigations particularly when winter rains are not properly
distributed, higher yields can be obtained. First irrigation should be given at 45 days after sowing
and second, if needed, at pod filling stage.
Weed management
In the crop of lentil period from 30 to 60 days after sowing is most critical for
competition with weeds. The major weeds found in lentil fields are Chenopodium album
(Bathua), Lathyrus spp. (chatrimatri), Vicia sativa (ankari), Melilotus alba (senji) and Cirsium
arvense (kateli), Convolvulus arvensis L. and Pluchea lanceolata. Maintenance of weed free
period of 45- 60 days from sowing is important. Two weedings 30 and 60 days after sowing are
adequate. Weedicides like fluchloralin (pre-plant incorporation) and pendimethalin (pre-
emergence) @ 0.75-1.0 kg/ha can be used for effective weed control.
Diseases Management
Ascochyta blight: Grey to tan spots or lesions on leaflets, stems, flowers and pods, with dark
margins and often with tiny black fruiting bodies (pycnidia) in the centers. The centers of the
spots turn light-colored and develop small black spots in them. Lesions first appear on lower
leaflets close to soil surface and spread up the plant canopy. Lesions on stems can girdle the
plant resulting in wilting. To control treat the seed with Bavistine @ 2.5 g/kg seed.
Anthracnose: It can be first noticed as white to gray or cream-colored spots develop on the
leaflets and stem. They usually appear on the base of the stem and move up the plant canopy.
Leaves and entire plants may die back and stems of mature and dead plants often blacken.
Leaflets litter soil surface. Lesions on stems can girdle the plant resulting in wilting.
Root rots: It 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.
Wilt: This is a serious disease of lentil in which the growth of the plant is checked, the leaves
start yellowing, plants start drying and finally die. The roots of affected plants remain under
developed and look light brown in colour. Keep the field clean and follow a three year crop
rotation. This will help in reducing the disease incidence. Use healthy seed and plant lentil
variety tolerant or moderately resistant to wilt like shivalik (L-4076), Pant L-4, Sapana; DPL- 62,
Pant L-406 etc.
Rust: This disease is caused by a fungus, Uromyces fabae. This disease appears in the filed from
January onwards and is known to cause exten- sive damage to the crop, particularly if the variety
is susceptible. It is char- acterised by the appearance of pink to brown pustules on leaves and
stems. Later, black pustules are also visible on stems and leaves. In case of severe attack, the
affected plants may dry. After harvest, the affected plant trash should be burnt. Grow resistant
varieties like Pant L-406, Pant L-639, Pant L-4, DPL-15, DPL-62, NarendraLentil-1 etc and
spray the crop with 0.2% Mancozeb 75 WP. Two sprays may be given at 15 days interval.
Powdery Mildew: This disease is caused by a fungus, Erysiphe polyqoni. The symptoms of this
disease are seen about three months after sowing in the form of small whitish patches on the
lower surface of the leaves. These whitish patches spread further and cover leaves, stem and
pods as whitish pow-dery mass. Collect and burn the affected debris. Spray the crop at the
appearance of the disease with any wettable sulphur like Sulfex-or Elosal (0.3%). A second spray
may be given after 15 days of the first spraying.
Downy Mildew: It is caused by a fungus, Peronospora tentis. The disease affects the plant in the
later stages of growth. Initially, it is observed in the form of light greenish to yellow spots on the
upper surface of the leaves. On the lower surface, opposite to these spots a brownish cottony
growth of the fungus can be observed. Later, the whole affected leaf is covered by this cottony
growth of the fungus and may become chlorotic. Treat the seed with Thiram or Carbendazim
(Bavistin) at the rate of 2.5 g/kg of seed before sowing.
Insect Management
Aphids: Aphids feed by sucking the plant sap from the phloem. They can infest leaves, stems
and pods and mostly colonize the young leaves and growing points, which become
characteristically deformed. Yield can be drastically reduced, and if infestations are early and
severe, plants can be killed. Aphids also transmit several virus diseases. For control aphid in case
of severe infestations before or at flowering, foliar spray of Rogor or Roxion (dimethoate) @ 1
ml per liter water will provide adequate control. If reinfestation occurs before pod maturity, a
second spray may be given.
Pod borer: [Helicoverpa armigera (Hb.) and Heliothis spp.] All larvae have characteristic and
distinct light and dark bands along the sides.The adult moths are active at night and lay eggs on
the undersides of leaflets. The small larvae feed by scraping the surface of leaflets; older larvae
feed on foliage and flowers, and bore into the green pods to eat the seeds. For control,
Deltamethrin (Decis 38 g a.i./ha) and Monocrotophos (0.04%) at the time of flowering/early pod-
setting can provide adequate control.
Harvesting and Threshing
Lentil should be harvested when the plants dry up and pods are matured. The plants should not
be allowed to become over ripe as large quantity of produce may be lost due to shattering.
Threshing is done either by beating the plants with sticks or trampling by bullocks. After
threshing, seed is cleaned and dried in sun to bring moisture content to 12% for safe storage.
Yield
A well-managed crop yields about 1.8-2.0 tonnes grain and 3.0-4.0 tonnes/ha of straw.The mean
yield attributes of lentil are: