Lentils are a cool season crop with a restricted root system which is only moderately resistant to high temperatures and drought. They do not tolerate waterlogging, flooding or soils with high salinity. Lentils are best suited to the Brown and Dark Brown soil zones, but can be grown successfully in the Black soil zone in years without excessive moisture. In the Brown soil zone, lentil production is good on summerfallow with medium to fine textured soils, or on stubble. In the Dark Brown and Black soil zones, lentils should be grown on stubble.
Lentils work well in a rotation with cereals, such as spring or durum wheat.
Lentils are susceptible to aschochyta blight and anthracnose. To reduce the risk of aschochyta blight, they should not be seeded in the same field more than one year in three or four, depending on the area. To reduce the risk of anthracnose, they should not be seeded more than one year in four and should not be seeded in fields adjacent to lentil stubble. Lentil seed should be tested for the presence of seed-borne aschochyta. A fungicide can be used to control seed-borne aschochyta, and root rots and blights.