Lentil Plant Information & Variety Selection

Introduction & General Information about Lentils

The lentil (Lens culinaris or Vicia lens), a member of the legume family (Fabaceae), is an important annual plant widely cultivated for its nutritious seeds. The genus Lens consists of many wild relatives of the cultivated lentil along with Lens culinaris subsp. orientalis, which is supposed to be the origin of the present-day cultivated lentil. Lentils are an excellent global crop grown in 53 countries.

Lentils are an important global crop cultivated in 53 countries. Lentil is the world's third-most important cool-season grain legume after chickpeas and peas. In 2022, Canada, India, Australia, Turkey, and Russia were the largest producers. Thanks to their hypogeal (subterranean) germination process, lentils adapt well to various environmental conditions. During germination, the cotyledons remain underground, protected within the seed coat, which helps the plant withstand frost, wind erosion, and insect damage.

Botanical Description of Lentils

The plant typically grows to a height of 12 to 30 inches (30 to 76 cm) and has a slender, semi-erect form. The plant may exhibit either a single stem or a more branched, bushy structure. The leaves are pinnate, containing up to 14 ovate to lanceolate leaflets, each measuring about 0.5 to 1.5 inches (1.27 - 3.81 cm) long. Small stipules are present at the base of each leaf, and many leaves terminate in tendrils.

Flowers and Pollination

Lentils produce small flowers, usually less than half an inch long, which can be white, pale purple, or dark purple. These flowers are typically found in clusters of two to four and bloom sequentially from the lower branches upwards. This means that lentils follow an acropetal flowering pattern, where flowering starts at the lower buds and progresses upwards. The flowering process takes about two weeks, and the plant's flowers generally get pollinated before they become fully open. The plant is generally self-pollinated, although occasional cross-pollination can occur via insects. Once pollinated, the flowers wither within three days, and seed pods begin to develop soon after, typically forming three to four days later.

Lentil Seed

The seed pods of lentils are flat and smooth, about 0.5 to 0.75 inches long (1.27 - 1.90 cm). Each pod usually contains one or two characteristically lens-shaped seeds. These seeds have a variety of colors, including clear green, pale tan, brown, and black, with some cultivars presenting mottled or speckled patterns on the seed coat. Lentils are generally divided into two main types:

macrosperma (large-seeded)
microsperma (small-seeded).

The large-seeded, or Chilean types, have seeds up to 0.5 inches (1.27 cm) in diameter, with yellow cotyledons and minimal pigmentation in the flowers and plant tissue. In contrast, the small-seeded, or Persian types, have seeds up to 0.25 inches (0.63 cm) in diameter, with red, orange, or yellow cotyledons, and typically display more pigmentation in the plant tissue.

Lentil Variety Selection Guide

When selecting a lentil variety, it's important to consider both market requirements and environmental factors. Two major groups of lentils are produced: the Chilean type (large-seeded) and the Persian type (small-seeded). Other special types include red-split lentils, zero-tannin lentils, and small black (Indian Head) lentils. While lentils are primarily used for food, a minor amount is also used as livestock feed. The two main market classes are green and red lentils. Green lentils are typically marketed as whole seeds, while red lentils can be sold both as whole seeds or in dehulled and split forms. Globally, red lentils dominate production and trade.

Red lentils

Red lentils have red cotyledons and grey seed coats. They are usually consumed in dehulled and split form to enhance palatability, though they can also be sold as whole seeds. Red lentils are divided into large, small, and extra-small classes. Small red lentils generally mature earlier and are shorter in height than their green counterparts. As red lentils dominate the global market, they are more widely grown. Examples of popular red lentil varieties include CDC Maxim and CDC Redberry. CDC Maxim is a small red variety known for its early maturity and compact height (30-35 cm or 11-14 inches). CDC Redberry is a medium-sized red lentil with early to medium maturity and partial disease resistance, especially to Anthracnose and Ascochyta.

Green lentils

Green lentils are recognized by their yellow cotyledons and green seed coats. Their seed sizes are classified as large, medium, or small. A small percentage (around 7%) of green lentils are large-seeded, while about 25% are small-seeded. Green lentils are generally consumed as whole seeds, and the larger varieties require early seeding due to their indeterminate growth habit. Large green varieties are also prone to lodging and susceptible to diseases like Botrytis (grey mold) and Sclerotinia (white mold), especially in high moisture conditions. Some popular green lentil varieties include CDC Greenland and CDC Imvincible. CDC Greenland is a large variety with medium-late maturity, although it's prone to lodging. CDC Imvincible, a medium-sized variety, shows better standability and earlier maturity.

Specialty lentils

Specialty lentils are grown in smaller volumes for specific markets. Black-seeded lentils, such as the Indian Head variety, were originally developed for use as green manure but have gained popularity as Beluga lentils in gourmet markets. French green lentils (Le Puy) have a marbled green seed coat with yellow cotyledons and are known to retain their shape better during cooking. Spanish brown lentils, which have grey-dotted seed coats and yellow cotyledons, are sold mainly in the Spanish market. Specialty varieties serve specific consumer demands, often catering to gourmet or ethnic preferences.

References

https://www.tridge.com/intelligences/lentils/production
Sehgal, A., Sita, K., Rehman, A., Farooq, M., Kumar, S., Yadav, R., ... & Siddique, K. H. (2021). Lentil. In Crop physiology case histories for major crops (pp. 408-428). Academic Press.
Erskine, W., Muehlbauer, F. J., Sarker, A., & Sharma, B. (Eds.). (2009). The lentil: botany, production and uses. CABI.
Choudhury, R. U., Malek, M. A., Sultana, M., Sultana, M., & Ahmet, B. (2014). Characterization of Lentil. Bangladesh Research Publications Journal, 10(1), 39-44.
https://albertapulse.com/lentil-seeding/lentil-varieties/