The aim of the study was to determine effect of autumn and spring sowing on yield and plant traits of Lentil (Lens culinaris Medic.) genotypes under Iran conditions. Material and Methods: For this purpose Twenty-four lentil genotypes accessions of Mashhad Lentil Collection (MLC) were evaluated at Chenaran, Iran with three planting dates [22 Oct., 10 Nov. (autumn) and 22 Mar. (spring) during 2009-10 growing seasons]. Results/Conclusions: All plants of the susceptible checks were killed at both locations, indicating that the winter cold was sufficient for screening. Some of the accessions started flowering 146-165 days after emergence in autumn -sown but it was 65-72 days in spring sown, the duration mean of flowering was 153 days in autumn - sown and 66 days in spring-sown. Time to maturity 178-193 days, autumn - sown significantly increased the plant height over spring- sown. The mean plant height in autumn - sown and spring -sown was 40 and 20 respectively. Autumn - sowing significantly increased the number of branches plant over spring- sowing by 33% (2-3.1) in autumn - sown crop significantly decreased the number of pods plant than spring- sown crop by 50.34%. Average number of seeds pod in autumn -sown was 1.19 in the seasons. The autumn- sowing produced 500% higher seed yield compared with spring- sowing. The average seed yield was 1722 kg ha-1 during (autumn -sown) but 342 kg ha-1 in spring-sown. The results of this study showed that autumn -sown plants are exposed to better water-distribution than spring sown plants in vegetative and generative stages Because of winter planting, plant indicates more vegetative development and in reproductive stage, plant is supported by the more vegetative development.

Keywords