This is currently a successful and increasingly common practice in some of the bluegrass production areas of northern Idaho and eastern Washington. The availability of winter lentil varieties could increase this management practice. Having the option of seeding a winter lentil under conservation tillage could greatly reduce erosion potential following crops other than grass. In addition, soil water storage could be increased as a result of reduced runoff and evaporation where a portion of the previous crop's residue is left on the surface overwinter and through the early growth stages of the lentil crop. This could increase lentil yield potential in areas where water is a major yield limiting factor.
Lentils are a low residue-producing crop.
Consequently, even a small portion of the previous crop's residue maintained on the surface through the lentil crop will also aid in reducing erosion and increasing soil water storage during the following winter when the next winter wheat crop is seeded after the lentils. Conservation tillage seeding of winter cereals after lentils has generally been a successful practice in the Inland Northwest region. Preliminary field research indicated that winter lentils perform well under conservation tillage systems, as well as under intensive tillage systems with low levels of surface residue. The study was conducted at the WSU Spillman Agronomy Farm near Pullman. Intensive tillage treatments were plowed and disked before seeding.