SOURCES OF WINTER HARDINESS IN WILD LENTIL

In high altitude areas (> c. 850 m elevation) in west Asia and north A frica, lentil (Lens culinaris) is grown as a spring crop to avoid seve re winter cold. But late fall-sown lentil with winter hardiness has hi gher yield potential in these areas. In this study a total of 245 acce ssions of wild lentil, 10 of cultivated lentil and three accessions of Vicia montbretii (syn. L. montbretii) were evaluated for winter hardi ness in Syria and Turkey during the 1991/92 season. The absolute minim um temperatures were -16 degrees C in Syria and -18.9 degrees C in Tur key and the susceptible indicators were killed at both locations showi ng that the cold was sufficient for screening. Although winter hardine ss was assessed as percentage of survived plants in Syria and as a vis ual damage rating on a 1-9 scale in Turkey, there was agreement betwee n the winter hardiness ratings with a correlation of r = -0.56, P < 0. 001. Accessions of L. culinaris ssp. orientalis exhibited the highest level of winter hardiness, on average; whereas accessions of L. nigric ans ssp. ervoides were the most susceptible. Correlations revealed tha t winter hardiness was concentrated among accessions originating from high elevation areas.