Comparison of growth and productivity of local and exotic varieties of lentil (Lens culinaris MediK)

الملخص

Lentil is one of the major leguminous plants and is considered a good source of protein for human nutrition. The yield of this plant in our country is low and unsatisfactory compared to other countries around the world, which is due to the lack of studies on the adaptability of the varieties of this plant to the climatic conditions of different regions of the country. The aim of this study is to evaluate the growth and yield of 6 different local and exotic varieties of lentil under the climatic conditions of Taluqan, Afghanistan. This research was conducted using completely randomized blocks design at the research farm of the Faculty of Agriculture, Takhar University. The varieties were including: the local small-seeded variety, FLIP2011-33L, FLIP2010-27L, Masoor (Pakistani), Kazakh, and Iranian variety. The parameters measured included: plant height, number of branches, number of pods per plant, weight of 1000 seeds, seed yield, biological yield, and harvest index and absolute growth rate. The results of this study showed that the Kazakh lentil variety produced the highest number of pods (122.75), seed yield (1870.8 kg ^-1), and harvest index (48.35%) compared to other varieties. However, the FLIP2011-33L and FLIP2010-27L varieties produced a greater number of branches and biological yield than the other varieties, which may be profitable in terms of producing green manure and animal fodder. Since the seed yield of the Kazakh variety is higher compared to other lentil varieties, it is recommended as a high-yield variety under the climatic conditions of Taluqan, while the quality and marketability of this variety should be studied separately.