Lentil growers and production systems around the world

Abstract

Taking into consideration different ecologies, regions, countries and continents lentils are adapted throughout world. Its cultivation has been taken up by large, medium and small farmers mainly under rainfed but also in irrigated ecosystems. The lentil growers in different countries face the challenges of biotic and abiotic stresses more or less of the same magnitude which are responsible for the low productivity and stagnation in the production. Marketing and trade arrangements and distortions can also produce enormous impacts in some regions. Examples of the main production systems from around the world are given. Within these productivity varies greatly from country to country and there are wide gaps between developed and under developed nations. Such gaps in the productivity can be minimize with the introduction of modern techniques. National and international research organizations are working on various aspects of lentil improvement and these programs have come out with excellent technologies for lentil growers. Their applicability and adoption has varied around the world. The availability of high yielding, resistant, quality and widely adapted cultivars with an appropriate agronomic package is not generally a problem in any part of the world. The chain of quality seed production is also being maintained and improving day by day. The various organizations are involved in technology transfer to farmers