Lentil (Lens culinaris L.) cultivation in Sweden: possibilities and challenges

Abstract

Swedish lentil cropping is today limited to heritage and small-scale farming. As lentils can be grown on all types of soils with standard agricultural equipment and act as a break crop in grain dominated rotations, they have come into focus for commercial production. Knowledge on cultivar choice, seeding time, possibilities for intercropping, and weed control is crucial for increased cropping. Thus, field trials combined with climate chamber experiments have investigated suitable cultivars and temperature effects on emergence. Moreover, seed rates, intercropping lentils with oats and wheat, and weed control have also been studied. Modern lentil varieties can be cropped in Sweden, typically yielding 1.5–2 MT ha−1 with a top-level yield of 3.5 to 4 MT ha−1. Intercropping with oats or spring wheat does not usually increase lentil yield. Lentil seed rates should not be less than 300 viable kernels m−2. Early seeding should be avoided as low soil temperature (8–10°C) prolongs emergence. Initial trials on suitable herbicides for Swedish conditions have shown that annual weeds are able to be controlled sufficiently. In general, there are small differences in crop performance in different fields and cultivar choice should be based on the features desired by the food industry.