2008 Statewide Spring Dry Pea and Lentil Variety Evaluations

Abstract

This paper evaluates spring dry pea and lentil varieties for grain production potential in diverse Montana environments. Dry pea grain yields were respectable among most of the testing sites (Table 3). Havre had the greatest production, with a trial average (converted to 13% moisture) of nearly 65 bushels acre-1 (65.6 bu/acre – 3,868 lbs/acre). Moccasin had the worst yield averaging less than 17 bushels acre-1 (16.1 bu/acre - 986 lbs/acre) which is much below long-term means and is thought to be due to poor sub-soil moisture, hail damage, snow and record lows in mid-June, and an insect infestation. As expected, no single entry was the top yielding variety at every location. However, the smooth yellow line PS9910140 did top the trial yields at three locations, and was among the top cultivars in the other locations. Lentil grain yields ranged from 450 to 2300 lbs acre-1 and were respectable across the state (Table 7), with the exceptions being Conrad (450 lbs acre-1), which had a poor stand establishment and Sidney (trial abandoned), which had poor soil moisture at seeding and experienced drought-like conditions through the growing season. Differences in grain yield between the dry pea and lentil trials at Moccasin can be attributed to planting of the lentil trial in a different field, which contained better stored soil moisture. The “Richlea”-type lentil line LC01602300R showed the greatest seed production at three of the six sites, with a grain yield ranging from 9.0 (at Conrad) to over 44 bushels acre-1 (Creston), but was not significant at any location (based on LSD0.05).