| Field Selections |
Grass crops the previous year are ideal. Previous non-legume broadleaf crops are acceptable. Avoid previous year legume crops to limit disease pressure and to maximize utilization of nitrogen credits from legumes in your rotation. Beware of previous herbicide rotation restrictions. Relatively clean fields are desirable as weed control options are limited with weeds. Avoid planting in fields where a contrasting class of lentils had been previously grown; e.g. planting a red variety where a green variety was produced 3 to 4 years ago or where a forage type ("lndianhead" a.k.a. "Black") had been grown within the last 6 or 7 years. Contrasting class (not to mention othervarieties of the same class) contamination is an ever-increasing serious problem that reduces the true value of pulse grains to the food processing and exporting segments of our industry. |
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| Soil Type |
| Well drained; pH of 6.0 to 8.0. |
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| Fertility |
| A total of soil + fertilizer N of 25 to 35lbs/A is ideal. Always inoculate seed with a high quality inoculant that will produce nodulation sufficient to fix the balance of the corp's mitrogen requirement. We discourage the use of liquid inoculant formulations in western Dakotas and Montana production areas as low relative humidity and/or dry soil at planting can cause liquids to fail (i.e. the Thizobium bacteria dry out and die). |
| If soil tests are high or very high for N, consider a nonlegume crop (nodulation, nitrogen fixation, and therefore, yield, are all inhibited once available nitrogen levels climb above 60 lbs. per acre). Broadcast P, K, and S according to soil test recommendations. Placement of any fertilizer type with the seed will likely reduce stands without increasing yield. |
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| Disease Management |
Lentils are susceptible to Ascochyta blight - a foliar disease that can be carried on the seed and old crop residue. Therefore, not only should your seed have been tested for Asochyta, you should also treat the seed with the appropriate fungicides and be prepared to apply a foliar treatment as well. |
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| Seeding Date |
| Seed Early. Lentils germinate at
40" F. |
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| Seeding Depth |
1 to 2 inches with inches moist soil above seed. |
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| Rolling |
| Avoid rolling when soils are wet. Just after planting is OK for no-tillers but not advided where tillage was done. Post Emergence at 3 to 5 leaf stage on a sunny afternoon (plants slightly wilted and soil surface is dry0 is best. |
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| Harvest |
Direct or previously swathed at 14 to 16% moisture, |
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| Storage |
| 13% moisture, use aeration |
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| Next Year |
| All non-legume crops do well following lentils. Avoid other cool-season broadleaf crops. Because of lentils' low water use, deep-rooted crops often do well following them. |
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| Rotation Frequency |
| Every 4 to 5 years; or longer if Asochyta blight becomes a problem. |
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