Factors Influencing Plant Height in Lentil (Lens culinaris M.) for Mechanical Harvesting

Abstract

The primary goal of agricultural activities is profitability as in every sector. A product that is economically unviable is not adopted by farmers. Profitable crop production is associated with yield and production costs. In legumes, the harvesting method plays a role in determining costs. Morphologically, lentil is relatively short and does not grow upright compared to other plants, especially cereals. This affects the harvesting method and can lead to additional and significant costs. Therefore, the suitability of the lentil plant for mechanical harvesting is more important than for other plants. When varieties unsuitable for mechanical harvesting due to their short height are grown, profitability decreases, and farmers abandon production. The experimental trials were conducted at the İkizce Research and Application Station, affiliated with the Field Crops Research Institute, during the 2020/21 and 2021/22 growing seasons. Seven different varieties were used in the trials during each growing season. Experimental materials were planted as summer and autumn sowings in both years. This study aimed to determine the characteristic(s) that most affect the suitability of the lentil plant for mechanical harvesting and its height in terms of growing season. In the combined analysis, statistically significant differences in plant height were found between year, variety, growing season, year*growing season, and growing season*variety. Furthermore, plant height was correlated with days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, yield, and first pod height.

Keywords

• Lentil
• plant height
• variety
• growing season
• autumn planting

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