LENTIL (Musur)
Compiled by: Dr. Ramyajit Mondal
Assistant Professor in Agronomy, School of Agriculture, Seacom
Skills University,
Kendradangal, Birbhum, West Bengal, PIN-731236
Scientific Name: Lens esculenta and Lens culinaris
'Lens'is aLatin word meaning Lens shaped seed'.
Family: Fabaccae/Leguminosae, Chromosome no. 2n=14
Common name: Masur (Musur)
Origin: This crop is supposed to native of probably Eastern Mediterranean
Region (Asia Minor.
Greece. gyptetc.)
The seed contains 25% protein.
The crop is frost tolerant and oldest among all the pulses.
Consumed as dry seed. In India as flour, dal (boiled, smashed in to soup),
several snacksand
sweet. Rich source of ca, phosphorous and iron.
Lentilis grown as pairaluteralrelay crop with rice mainly to capitalize the stored
moisture in
soil.
Fig: Lentil plant (Flowering stage)
Area and Production:
> Major growing countries are India, Turkey, Syria, Pakistan, Egypt, Spain and
Bangladesh
> India ranks 1s both in area and production followed by Turkey.
> In India, it is grown in 1.56 m ha area with a production of 1.61 m tonnes.
In India, it is mostly grown in the states of MP, UP, WB, Bihar, Rajasthan & Assam.
In WB, it is grown in 0.07 m ha area with a production of0.06 m tonnes with productivity
of 955 kg/ha.
Classification:
Bold seeded: Macrosperma Small seeded: Microsperma
Seed size 6 to 9 mm Seed size 2 to 6 mm
Seed cotyledon is yellowish in colour Seed cotyledon is yellow to orange.
Macrosperma are large sized grains cultivated Microsperma are predominantly cultivated in
in Mediterranean region. India.
Botany:
Self pollinated crop.
Annual short growing pulse crop bushy in nature.
Average plant height 35-50 cm (25-40 cm).
Deep tap root systemwith fibrous lateral roots.
Light green to bluish green colored leaf.
Inflorescence is axillary raceme.
Flower colour is white tinged with blue,
violet or pink.
Pods are short 1-1.5 cm long and 1-2 seeds
are there in each pod.
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Climate:
> Lentil require cold and temperate climate and sown as winter crop.
>The crop is hardy in nature and can tolerate severe winter.
> Optimum temperature for growth is I8-30°C.
> Ih requires cool temperature during carly phases of growth followed by bright
sunnyweather during maturity.
Annual rainfall requirement is 300-400 mm.
Water logging is very harmful for this crop.
Soil:
Crop can be grown on varied type of soils like light
loamsand alluvial soil to black cotton soils.
> Well drained loam soils with neutral pH is best suited.
> Acidic soils are not fit for growing this crop.
> Soilshould have good drainage facility.
Field Preparation
Field preparation is generally organized through primary tillage which consists of
ploughing, harrowing, discing and planting. A good field should have friable but compacted
soil, adequate moisture and free from weeds and plant debris. Generally one deep ploughing
followed by cross harrowing and planking ensures better field for cultivation of lentil. Under
utera system no tillage is done, therefore scrapping the soil surface to a depth of 3-4 cm with
bakhar after the harvest of rice and before broadcasting lentil gives better plant stand and high
yield.
Seed sowing :
Growing season: Middle of October to 1 fortnight of November.
Method of sowing: Drilling/Line sowing
Spacing: 30 cm x 5-7cm
Depth of sowing: 3-4 cm
Seedrate- 30-40kg/ha. Seed rate 50-60 kg/ha for delayed sowing, Utera system 60-70 kg/ha.
Variety:
Shivalik (Wilt resistant), Moitree(WBL 77), Subhendu, Asha, Ranjan,Pant L-4,
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Pant L-639,WBL-58, HUL 57,K-75 (Mallika), Pusa -1, Pusa-4, Pusa-206, Pant L406
etc.
Nutrient management:
> 20-25 kg N: 50-60 kg P;0s /ha should be applied as basal.
> Responses to Kapplication have been found inconsistent
> Fertilizers drilled in furrows at 5-7 cm depth near the root zone give the good result.
> General recommendation: [Link] or, [Link] kg N, P,05, and K,O /ha.
> Incase of Zn deficient soil, spray 0.5% ZnSO4 or 25 kg ZnSO/ha should be applied
during final land preparation.
Water management :
> It is mainly grown as rainfed winter crop
> If winter rain fails, provide irrigation at 45 DAP (pre-flowering) and pod
developmentstages.
> Critical stages: Pre-flowering & Pod development.
But excess irrigation is harmful for its growth and decreases crop yields.
Weed managemnent:
Most common weeds in lentil are
Chenopodium album, Fumaria parviflora, Lathyrus spp., Cirsium arvense,
Melilotus alba, Amaranthus viridis.
Critical period of crop weed competition: 30-60DAS.
Two hand weeding at 25-30 DAS and 45-50 DAS is recommended Fluchloralin (Basalin) @
1.0 kg a.i /ha (pre sown soil incorporation)
Harvesting, threshing and storage
Lentil crop should be harvested at physiological maturity stage.
* Harvesting should be done before the pods become dry enough to shatter.
Dry weather during the ripening and harvesting is essential to maintain good seed
quality.
After harvesting the crop should be kept in field for about 4-5 days for drying purpose
to avoid
mechanical damage and maximize storability
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Threshing is conceded after drying by beating with wooden sticks or trampling by
bullocks specialized thresher.
Grains are cleaned by removing dust. foreign materials, off-sized and then graded.
The clean seed should be dried to moisture content below 10-12% before storage to
protect fromstorage pest anddisease.
Seed should be stored in airtight metallic bin at small scale storage
* Large silos are commercially accessible for large scale storage of pulses.
* The important factors affecting the seed storage are temperature and relative humidity.
* To avoid storage insect infestation during storage keep Aluminium phosphide tablets
inside the Storage bin.
Yield:
20-25q/ha with improved agronomic management practices.
Insect pest management
Major insects are like pod borers, hairy caterpillar, semi-looper etc.
> Allthose above mentioned insects can be killed by basal soil application
of Phorate 10 G @ 10 kg/ha
Apply Cypermethrin 5EC @0.5 ml/litre of water to control pod borer.
Disease pest management:
Rust: caused by Uromyces fabae
Seedling wilt: caused byFusarium oxysporm spp. lentis
Powdery mildew: caused by Erysiphe polygoni
Downy mildew: caused by Peronospora lentis
Ascochyta Blight: Ascochyta lentis
Control:
Use of resistantvarieties (Pant L-406, Pant L-639, Pant L-4,DPL-15,
DPL-62,Narendra Lentil-1 )
Mancozeb 75 WP or Zineb @0.2% solution at an interval of 10-15 days.
s Seed treatment with Thiram or Carbendazim
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Fig: Ascochyta Blight of Lentil Fig: Wilt disease of lentil
Fig: Powdery mildew of lentil Fig: Lentil pod borer
