One hundred lentil genotypes accessions of Mashhad Lentil Collection (MLC) were evaluated at Chenaran, Iran with three planting dates [10 Oct., 10 Nov. (fall) and 28 Mar. (spring) during 2008/09 growing seasons]. Evaluation based on winter survival percentage showed that in 2008/09 growing season, percentage of highly tolerant, tolerant, moderately tolerant, moderately susceptible and susceptible genotypes were 22, 61, 16, 1 and 0 respectively. In the first planting date more than 50% of genotypes were ranked as highly tolerant, however it was decreased to 12% and 5% of genotypes in the second and third planting dates, respectively, in this year. According to the fall plantings data, the length of growth duration of samples in fall plantings were 2.3 times higher than spring planting, and also in the first planting that was 5, 25 and 255 percent more than 2nd and 3rd planting dates, respectively. The height of fall plants were more than spring plants and in the first year fall planting genotypes were about 38% taller than the same planting. The number of pod per plant in fall planting was 2 times higher than spring planting. More than 22% of accessions had 125 pods per plant in 1st and 2nd planting in this year. In the 2008/09 growing seasons the yield of lentil genotypes in fall planting were more than 4 and about 2 times of spring planting, respectively. In the 2008/09 growing seasons 39% of spring planting samples produced less than 50 gr/m2 seed yield. It seems that the improvement of seed yield in the fall planting were due to suitable winter survival of plants fallowed by better usage of rainfall and escaping from drought and heat stress of the end of spring. Results showed that there were some cold tolerant accessions in MLC and it is possible to provide cold tolerant cultivars for fall planting in Mashhad conditions.

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