Alberta pulse crop research scientist shares tips
By Diego Flammini
News Reporter
Farms.com
Proper soil types and weed management programs are two keys to producing a successful red lentil crop, according to Robyne Bowness Davidson, a pulse crop research scientist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry.
Red lentils prefer lighter soils, she said.
Grow the crop in “sandy soils, sandy loam soils (and) even loam soils. Fields that are well drained. This is important for lentils. They simply will not tolerate wet feet,” she said yesterday, according to Call of the Land.
And farmers should pay close attention to nitrogen levels.
Researchers observed increases in red lentil yields when the crop received 15 kilograms of nitrogen per hectare, according to 2012 data from Bowness Davidson. But yields dropped with nitrogen applications of 30 kg per hectare or higher.
“Avoid fields with high nitrogen levels,” she said yesterday. “All you’re going to get is vegetative growth. You’re not going to get seeds set.”
Producers should also ensure minimal perennial weed pressure because the crop isn’t competitive, she said.
“Herbicides are more limited, especially in crop, so clean fields are important,” she told Call of the Land. “I would encourage a pre-seed burndown in the spring to make sure you have the cleanest field possible. Lentils are notorious for being kind of messy, so do what you can.”
Farmers should also consider making adjustments to their air seeders for red lentils, Bowness Davidson suggests. Too much air pressure can damage the seed as it travels through the implement.
Growing more lentils in Alberta
Alberta farmers have increased their lentil production recently.
In 2014, they seeded 100,000 acres of lentils, according to a January 2017 presentation from Mark Olson, the unit head of pulse crops with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry.
That number increased to 220,000 acres in 2015 and 565,000 acres in 2016.
The value of the industry also grew in the past few years.
In 2014, Alberta’s lentil industry was worth almost $24 million, or 6 per cent of the total pulse industry.
In 2016, Alberta’s lentil sector was worth over $109 million, or 19 per cent of the province’s total pulse industry.