Pant Lentil 8 (PL 8)
An older small-seeded Pantnagar lentil still grown across the northern plains for its reliability and dependable dal recovery. Treat its disease reaction as moderate and pair it with fungicide seed treatment on wilt-prone land.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Lentil (Masoor)
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Rabi
- Maturity period
- 130тАУ135 days
- Seed rate
- 30тАУ40 kg/ha (12тАУ16 kg/acre) for line sowing into moisture
- Expected yield
- Medium to high тАФ roughly 12тАУ15 q/ha under managed conditions
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Release
- Developed by GBPUAT, Pantnagar тАФ an older-generation small-seeded release for the northern plains
About this variety
Pant Lentil 8 (PL 8, also written Pant L 8) is an older small-seeded lentil from Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar. It is still grown across the northern plains of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, kept by farmers for its reliability, its dependable split-dal recovery and its fit into the timely-sown rabi window at roughly 130тАУ135 days. It predates the current generation of multi-disease-resistant releases, so its rust and wilt reaction is best treated as moderate rather than as a resistance to lean on: on land with any wilt history, PL 8 should be sown with fungicide seed treatment and, ideally, rotated. Where an up-to-date, wilt-resistant variety such as PL 406, IPL 316 or HUL 57 is available for your zone, it is usually the safer modern choice.
Key characteristics
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeMid-October to mid-November тАФ a timely-sown rabi crop; late sowing runs pod-fill into terminal heat
- Seed rate30тАУ40 kg/ha (12тАУ16 kg/acre) for line sowing into moisture
- FertilizerAbout 15тАУ20 kg N and 40тАУ50 kg P2O5 per hectare basal, plus 20 kg S on light soils; no nitrogen top-dressing. Rhizobium and PSB seed inoculation after the fungicide has dried
- HarvestingHarvest at about 130тАУ135 days when plants yellow and lower pods dry brown; cut before the top pods shatter.
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
130тАУ135 days
Expected yield
Medium to high тАФ roughly 12тАУ15 q/ha under managed conditions
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
- Fusarium wilt тАФ treat PL 8's reaction as moderate; use fungicide seed treatment and rotation on land with a wilt history
- Rust тАФ moderate reaction; avoid very late sowing that pushes the pod stage into peak rust weather
- Stemphylium blight тАФ a risk anywhere the winter is humid; early sowing and a protective fungicide at first spots are the response
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- A long-known, widely available variety with predictable behaviour and good split-dal recovery
- Fits the standard timely-sown rabi window in the northern plains
Things to consider
- It is an older release without the multi-disease-resistance package of newer varieties тАФ on wilt-prone land a variety like PL 406 or IPL 316 is the safer choice
- The specific release year and parentage are not restated here because sources vary; treat PL 8 as a documented Pantnagar variety of the older generation
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for тАФ check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Uttar Pradesh
- Uttarakhand
Frequently asked questions
Is PL 8 still worth growing?
It is a reliable, widely available small-seeded lentil for the northern plains, but it is an older release. On land with any wilt history, a newer wilt-resistant variety such as PL 406, IPL 316 or HUL 57 is the safer modern choice.
When should I sow PL 8?
Mid-October to mid-November into receding soil moisture. Late sowing pushes pod-fill into terminal heat and cuts yield, so timeliness matters.
Sourced from: ICAR-IIPR, Kanpur тАФ lentil varieties and package of practices, Directorate of Pulses Development тАФ Central released varieties of Lentil (Masoor). editorial policy.