Effect of Sowing Date and Environment on Phenology, Growth and Yield of Lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus.) Genotypes

Abstract

Lentil, an important pulse crop in Australia, is sown soon after the onset of autumn rains and grows mainly under rainfed conditions. This study examined lentil phenological development, growth and grain yield under different sowing dates and environments in New South Wales (NSW). Eight lentil varieties were phenotyped over two years and four sowing times in southern NSW (Leeton, Wagga Wagga and Yanco (one year)) and central western NSW (Trangie). Time of sowing affected important agronomic traits, with a delay in sowing decreasing time to flowering and podding, biomass accumulation, plant height and position of bottom pod. Sowing earlier or later than optimum decreased grain yield. Yield was mainly determined by the number of pods and seeds per plant, with minimal impact from seed weight. Overall, yields were higher in favorable environments such Leeton experiment which received more water compared to the other sites which received less water. Averaged across sowing dates, the slower maturing PBA Greenfield was lower yielding whilst fast maturing varieties such as PBA Bolt and PBA Blitz yielded higher. PBA Jumbo2 is less sensitive to environmental interaction and thus broadly adapted to the diverse environments. Optimum sowing time was identified as the end of April to mid-May.

Lentil Cultivar Evaluation in Diverse Organic Mediterranean Environments

“…Adjusting the sowing time is crucial for maximizing lentil yields, especially in regions with challenging climatic conditions such as high altitudes. Timely sowing ensures proper crop development and minimizes the risk of yield losses due to factors like late water stress [58,59]. Understanding the mechanisms through which lentils combat drought stress is crucial for devising effective cultivation strategies, especially in challenging environments like the Mediterranean.…”