Dr. Phyto

lentil

Lens culinaris

Diseases & pests on this plant

• Ascochyta blight of lentilAscochyta lentis

  Small dark spots with grey centers on leaves + stems, lesions expand into elongate brown lesions with concentric rings, pod infections cause shrivelled + discoloured seed, lodging in heavy infections from stem girdling, infected seed acts as inoculum source for next planting.

• pea-and-bean weevilSitona lineatus

  Distinctive U-shaped notches around leaf margins from adult feeding (looks like someone took bites with a hole punch), larvae visible inside Rhizobium root nodules when pulled up, stunted + yellowed plants from compromised nitrogen fixation, severe attack in cold wet springs delays flowering.

• grey mould (Botrytis)Botrytis cinerea

  Fuzzy grey mould on leaves and stems.

• sclerotinia stem rotSclerotinia sclerotiorum

  White cottony growth on stems at flowering height, stems split open to show black sclerotia (1–5 mm) embedded in pith, premature ripening of affected plants.

• black bean aphidAphis fabae

  Dense black colonies on shoot tips + flower stems + young pods, sticky honeydew + sooty mould on lower leaves, stunted + distorted shoot tips, flower + pod abortion in heavy infestations, virus transmission causing leaf roll + yellowing later in season.