Lentils
Lentils are agronomic crop belongs to family leguminosae and categorized as pulses. Lentils are widely consumed, the main consumers are South Asia. It is annual plant about 40 cm tall and known for lens-shaped seeds. The seeds are grown in small pods which contain 2-3 seeds/pod. The major global producers of lentils are Canada and India where 50% of combined global production is dominated by these two countries.
Photo: Lentil plant with pods, Source: Indian Institute of pulse research
Benefits of lentil in Agriculture
A. Nitrogen fixation
Nitrogen is important fertilizer to support plant growth. As Lentil is legume crop, it has ability to form nodules and fix biologically available nitrogen into soil. To conserve the soil in its natural state and to protect from degradation of soil from chemical fertilizer application, alternatively we can grow lentils to let them fix nitrogen in soil. The use of hazardous chemical fertilizers should be avoided for improving soil health, therefore here the lentils have importance to integrate in Nepalese agriculture.
Lentils have important contribution in agriculture as inoculated lentils can fix 176,84, 216 kg of nitrogen per hectare and even non inoculated lentils can fix up to 5-16% of nitrogen in soil. In wheat and lentils intercropping system, it is suggested that it requires low level of fertilizer because lentils fix nitrogen to that system.
Intercropping and rotation with lentils for cereals are always beneficial from productivity and soil health perspective.
B. Food security
The increasing population is seeking more food and in near future we will have challenge to feed the overgrowing population. lentils has high output/input ratio, which mean evan in low input provided lentils can give better production. Therefore, in future lentils can help to solve food insecurity.
Integrated agriculture system with lentils is proven to be high yielding and proven as less fertilizer requiring system.
C. Environment
Nitrogen fixation ability of lentils help to reduce the external application of chemical fertilizers (N, P and K). The reduction of nitrogen fertilizer application reduce the leaching into waterways. Therefore, there will be low chance to have waterways blockage, eutrophication and will have low chance for water pollution
Benefits of lentil in human health
Photo: Different types of lentils, Source: Love and lemons
A. Poor man's meat
Lentils are very good source of protein. Lentils made up of at least one fourth (i.e. at least 25%) protein, which can clearly reflect as meat alternative. People who can not afford meat, leantis can fulfill their daily protein requirement.
B. Low cholesterol
Lentils have low cholesterol and it has high level of soluble fibre, therefore it is beneficial to reduce blood cholesterol level in body. Hence lentils help you to prevent from heart diseases such as stroke.
C. Heart health
In addition to the high fibre, lentils have folate and magnesium mineral, which are best contributor for good heart health. The folate lowers the homocysteine level in blood which reduce the risk of heart attack and magnesium improves the blood flow in heart. In other hand, people who are vegetarian and/or vegan, lentils can be their main protein source.
D. Maintaining blood sugar
Soluble dietary fibres traps the carbohydrates and then slow down the digestion. And hence, it stabilize the sugar level in blood.
E. Easy digestion
The insoluble dietary fibre helps to reduce the chance of having constipation.
F. Source of Energy
Iron available in lentils are good oxygen transporter in blood, which is require for protein synthesis and metabolism (source of energy in human body)
G. Weight loss management
Lentils have multiple minerals, protein and minerals, which are highly essential for human body but low in calorie. It means that lentils are low calorie food but have essential elements for human body. So they can help you for weight management
Let's go with lentils, conserve and improve our agriculture as well as our health
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