Masoor Dal Or Lentil Plant is a kind of dry pulse with dark, reddish skin and light green flesh. The lentil plant is also known as lentil pea or Lentilles de Tournesol. It is a legume belonging to the family Lens legumes that are cultivated for its edible seeds and its edible green leaves.
The leaves are sometimes used as a vegetable much like spinach, whereas the seeds are ground into coarse flour and used in baking (particularly in Indian cuisine). The plants grow well with little water but poorly in flooded soil. Lentils are a variety of pulses that are small, oval-shaped, and come in various colors.
Lentils originated in South Asia and were originally considered the poor man’s meal because of their low cost. Today you probably can’t escape them: they’re readily available at most grocery stores. Yes, I’m talking about the lentil soup you had for lunch today.
Contents
what is the Masoor Dal Or Lentil Plant?
Lentil or masoor dal plant is a kind of dry pulse with dark, reddish skin and light green flesh. The lentil plant is also known as lentil pea or Lentilles de Tournesol. It is a legume belonging to the family Lens legumes that are cultivated for its edible seeds and its edible green leaves. The leaves are sometimes used as a vegetable much like spinach, whereas the seeds are ground into coarse flour and used in baking (particularly in Indian cuisine).
What is A masoor dal or Lentil plant Plan?
The lentil plant is not only a beautiful plant but also a sacred one. It is very important for the people, especially for the Muslim community and it is also considered to be one of the sacred plants of India.
Advantages Of masoor dal or Lentil plant
- Save Space
- Easy to grow
- Fast-growing
- Edible leaves and seeds
- Grows well in a small space.
- Easy to grow in a small space.
Disadvantages Of masoor dal or Lentil plant
- Low Yield
- Produce fruits in the future.
- Low output
Nutritional Benefits Of masoor dal or Lentil
- Hemoglobin
- Vitamin B1, C, and E
- Good for the eyes, and bones and helps to cure headaches and diabetes.
- Contains iron it which is very much beneficial for the body.
- Contains high amounts of potassium and magnesium which is beneficial for the heart.
- Coconut leaves, cow dung, and water are used for the germination process of lentil plants.
- Best food for diabetics.
- It is also very good for females as it contains a high amount of iron that helps in growing baby cells in women so it also helps prevent miscarriages.
Bad effects Of Lentil
- It is reported that it can cause allergies in some people who are sensitive to lentil plants.
How to Start A masoor dal or Lentil plant?
The lentil plant or masoor dal plant is very easy to grow biennially. You can start from seed or sow in the desired season using low-nitrogen and high-potassium soil with good light conditions.
Select the good land
Select a plot that has good drainage, fertile loam, and well-drained soil. The plot should be in full sun with a maximum height of about 2 feet even after a plot has been prepared for planting and will grow three to four feet tall.
Prepare the soil
You can prepare the soil by adding manure, compost, or chemical fertilizer before sowing seeds. It is advisable to sow the seed in a trench, starting from 3 inches deep particularly if you are increasing the height of your plant after harvest. The seed should be irrigated after planting and must be kept moist until the seeds have germinated and are visible.
Choose A Variety Of seeds of masoor dal or Lentil
You can preserve seeds from the plant that you have grown. You can also sow more seeds in the same plot if you have some seedlings of different varieties. Such as Bombay 18, DPL 15, DPL 62, L 4632, K 75, LL 699, LL 931 and Pusa 4076 and Pusa 4082.
When To Start A masoor dal or Lentil plant?
You can start your planting from March to May. Lentil plant-like warm, dry weather conditions require the soil to be well prepared. The best time to sow the seeds is in March since it is a warmer period and the weather becomes favorable for the growth of plants and seeds.
Seeds per acre
You should sow about 3-4 lbs of seeds for every square yard of the plot. If you want to grow a double plot, then you must sow about 6 lbs of seeds. 6 lbs of seeds are equal to 20 grams each which can be planted in the plot of a half-square yard. If you have seeds of different varieties, then you should sow them on separate plots.
The seeds should be sowed in trenches that are 3 inches deep and need to be watered after planting and kept moist until seed germination takes place. Rooted seedlings are visible after a few days.
Planting method
It is advisable to sow the seeds in a trench that is 3 inches deep and 6 inches wide. Before planting seeds in the plot, you have to chop them off or break them with your hands.
Set Seedlings
You should set the plant up after you see three green leaves. You should water them before setting them to prevent any kind of soil-borne diseases such as mildew and damping-off disease. After 15 to 20 days, you should remove any weeds from around the roots by hand before sowing more seeds.
Watering
You should water the soil until it becomes very loose and is at the depth of 12 inches. You can irrigate the plant regularly in the first few weeks after planting.
Fertilizing
After a few weeks, you should start fertilizing the plant after you see a green color on the plants. You can help the growth of your plant by adding manure or chemical fertilizer. Fertilization will improve the growth and increase the yield of your plant.
Controlling weeds
You should remove the weeds using your hands. You can also use corn gluten meal or cottonseed meal as natural weed killers to control weeds in the plot.
Diseases, Pests
You should remove all the weeds from the plot before planting more seeds. The plant is susceptible to very few diseases caused by powdery mildew, fusarium wilt, and rust fungus. You can apply neem oil to the plants to control these diseases.
Storage
You can store your lentils for a few months in the refrigerator if you do not want to eat them fresh. You should also keep them in a dry and cool place.
Marketing
You should take steps to sell your lentils during the harvesting period. You can sell them to buyers and earn profits. You can store seeds in temperature-controlled warehouses before sowing.
Conclusion
I hope that you enjoy this post and I hope that you will come back again because there are always new posts to read! If you have any comments or questions, feel free to leave them below.
