Cold season stress is a major factor that limits the success of environmentally sound cultivation of lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus) in world. In West Asia and North Africa, lentil is winter-sown at elevations below about 850 meters and is usually spring-sown at higher elevations, representing two contrasting agro-ecological regions these agro ecological regions are characterized by wet winters, springs with rapidly rising temperatures and hot, dry summers. The major limiting factors to crop growth are low moisture availability and high temperature stress in spring and at high elevations cold temperatures in winter. The results of this study showed that selection for tolerance to these abiotic stresses is of prime concern to lentil breeders in both agro-ecological regions and the world lentil collection is possible to provide tolerant cultivars for fall planting in cool season. Key-words: lentil, Cold tolerance, low temperature,

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