Lentil Varieties & Management

Normally we grow lentils on dryland but for the past 2 season we had our red lentils on irrigation. Our CDC Proclaim field might have had excess water late June early July but it ended up averaging 64 bu per ac. (seed is clean and ready to ship)
We used 65 lbs per ac of 11-52 in seed row and targeted 14 plants per sq foot.

Should you grow Lentils in 2025?

• Small green lentils were overgrown in 2024. I'd advise not to grow SGL in 2025
• Reds, the yield has been good, movement is fairly good as many countries buy reds and at current prices it may open up more buyers globally.
  • This may be a good alternate to yellow peas.
• Large Greens: quality was hit or miss this season in SK as some rain did impact some areas. This may make the volume of good quality LGL lower and help the price on good quality LGL this season and into next. 
  • from a yield perspective, when too wet the large greens do drop off in yield where red lentils seem yield more, tolerate a wider range on conditions, mature faster and have a larger market.

Here is some information from APG on lentil market classes and production. & SPG also has some great lentil production info as well.
FMC has a nice lentil growing guide as well: https://ag.fmc.com/ca/sites/default/files/2024-02/7776%20Lentil%20Manual_Print_2024_Jan19.pdf


Herbicides

• We have used Edge ahead of lentils in the past, and this year used Focus ahead of them with a pre-burn.
• In crop we used Solo ADV and then because it was was irrigation we did 3 passes of fungicide in crop timed similar to our watering in crop. Delaro Complete was our main fungicide.
  • a group one may have been enough for grassy control - so depends on weed spectrum. 
• For seed treatments pea leaf weevils are not a big issue so usually only a fungicide seed treatment is needed unless seeding early for stress mitigation or wireworms are a concern where an insecticide treatment is needed.
  • We did a fungicide and insecticide to reduce our risk of wireworm and the cost per ac is low vs other pulse crops since we only seed around 1 bu per ac.
• Peat Inoculant on Seed for up to 30 Days
  • Agtiv Fuel has been used by us for a number of years now. We use the peat based and meter it on as we treat seed. Use rates are 60 ac per pail on lentils = $6 per ac

Use Rates

• Many people seed at 14 plants per sq foot on lentils but on light dry land some seed at 12 plants to reduce costs and in other situations some target 16 plants per sq foot.

Lentil Problems

• Aphids can be an issue and may require control in lentils SPG has a good aphid guide
• On dry years on dryland I have seen leaf disease in crop making spraying a fungicide or not a tough decision because the yield potential was not high.
• Wheat is hard to remove from lentils as its a similar size when processing so controlling volunteer cereals is easy but important in crop (group 1 herbicides get it)
• Markets are larger for red lentils so they are easier to sell vs green lentils and maintain quality easier.
• Green lentils are more indeterminate so too much rain can keep growing and or re-grow, become too vegetative vs a red lentil.
  
  

Lentil Seed
We have Clearfield red and green lentils available and the acres seem to keep growing! Some of our customers don't use the group 2 herbicide due to carry over risks, so it's up to you if you use the traits possible on these varieties. 
Reds are earlier and shorter vs. green lentils.

CDC Lima CL - Large Green

• These need a higher seeding rate as they are larger vs. the others we sell so often needing 1.5 -1.75 bu per ac vs. around 1 bu per ac on reds and small greens (60 lbs per bu)
• Reviews have been great on these vs. other older large greens for yield as well as quality.

CDC Proclaim CL - Small Red - top small red variety, it is not sold by many seed retailers bit every time a customer or us tried it beside other newer varieties, CDC Proclaim CL usually wins!

CDC Jimini CL - Small Green Lentil

• Market is smaller and not often grown in AB

Yields
According to AFSC reported yields CDC Lima large green can yield like CDC Maxim.
If you are growing a red lentil, CDC Proclaim has been a solid variety in dry and wet years, that it's a wonder anyone grows CDC Maxim or others still, see AFSC reported yields for 2024 season and back.