Lentil

Lentil is direct-sown into a firm, fine seedbed at a depth of 2.5–5 cm, with plants spaced 20–30 cm apart in rows 15–18 cm apart; it tolerates light frost and grows best in cool conditions around 24°C. It adapts to soils from sandy ground to clay loam but performs best in well-draining, sandy soil with a pH near 7, and a south- or east-facing slope helps warm the crop early in the season; annual rainfall of 10–12 inches suits it, and while it tolerates drought, yields drop under dry conditions, and high humidity reduces yield by encouraging excess vegetative growth.

Seed is commonly inoculated with Rhizobium leguminosarum within 24 hours of planting so the developing nodules can fix atmospheric nitrogen, with an early nitrogen supplement applied if soil levels are low. Lentil has high sulfur, potassium and phosphorus needs that a soil test can guide, and because the crop competes poorly with weeds, the planting site should be cleared by hoeing beforehand; plants should be kept evenly moist, with watering stopped once the pods begin to dry.

Anthracnose, caused by the fungus Colletotrichum truncatum, produces tan lesions with darker borders on the leaves, often appearing before flowering or shortly after bloom, and affected leaves may drop prematurely; tan to light brown lesions also spread on the lower stems.

Lentil is ready to harvest once the plants turn yellow and the lower seed pods take on a yellow-brown color, a stage that develops quickly and must be watched closely since the pods shatter easily if left too long. In gardens, pods can be picked by hand or whole plants pulled and dried on a rack for one to two weeks before the seeds are broken out of the pods.

Dried lentils keep for about a year in a tightly sealed container stored somewhere dark, dry and cool, while cooked lentils keep about a week refrigerated or up to three months frozen.

Culinary: Lentil seeds are eaten whole or split, cooked into soups, stews, and dal-style curries served with rice or roti, or sprouted and eaten raw for a crunchy texture; younger pods are also sometimes eaten as a vegetable.

Industrial: Beyond the kitchen, lentil seed starch has been used by the textile industry, and the seeds can also be ground into flour.

Fodder: The plant's leafy stalks have been used as fodder.

Lentil is native to Western Asia and is counted among the earliest domesticated crops, appearing in the diets of ancient Rome and Egypt. Its wild relative Lens orientalis is considered the progenitor of the cultivated lentil, and from its origins in the Middle East the crop spread to become widely grown across Europe, Asia, and North Africa.