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Lentil (Masoor)RabiOpen-pollinatedUpdated 27 August 2026

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.

SeasonRabi
Maturity period130–135 days
Expected yieldMedium to high — roughly 12–15 q/ha under managed conditions
Suitable soilLoam

Quick facts

Crop
Lentil (Masoor)
Type
Open-pollinated
Season
Rabi
Maturity period
130–135 days
Seed rate
30–40 kg/ha (12–16 kg/acre) for line sowing into moisture
Expected yield
Medium to high — roughly 12–15 q/ha under managed conditions
Suitable soil
Loam
Release
Developed by GBPUAT, Pantnagar — 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 130–135 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

    Plant typeOpen-pollinated
    Maturity130–135 days
    Yield potentialMedium to high — roughly 12–15 q/ha under managed conditions
    Disease resistanceModerate — pair with seed treatment on wilt-prone land
    SoilLoam
    SeasonRabi

Sowing & cultivation

  • Sowing timeMid-October to mid-November — a timely-sown rabi crop; late sowing runs pod-fill into terminal heat
  • Seed rate30–40 kg/ha (12–16 kg/acre) for line sowing into moisture
  • FertilizerAbout 15–20 kg N and 40–50 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 130–135 days when plants yellow and lower pods dry brown; cut before the top pods shatter.

Yield & maturity

Maturity period

130–135 days

Expected yield

Medium to high — roughly 12–15 q/ha under managed conditions

Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.

Pest & disease considerations

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 — 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 — 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 — lentil varieties and package of practices, Directorate of Pulses Development — Central released varieties of Lentil (Masoor). editorial policy.