b'LENTILSareHAVING a MOMENTPlenty of foods are caught up in the latest food trends, and lentils are no different.Sarah HillPLANT-BASED MEATS,quinoa, acai berries andBandillos team is focusing their research on improving the kefir. If you do not know what those items are, they areamounts of iron and zinc in lentils, to help improve human food trends that have made a splash among middle-classhealth.American families in the past decade. Lentils are anotherOur goal is to develop cultivars of peas, lentils and crop caught up in this food trend moment. chickpeas that are adapted for the Northern Plains region, Lentils and other pulse crops are non-GMO, and theBandillo says. With lentils, our major focus is to increase seed perceived health benefits have increased the market for bothquality by enhancing its micronutrient profile and protein types of crops, says Nonoy Bandillo, an assistant profes- content.sor and pulse breeder at North Dakota State University.From a breeding perspective, were trying to improve Lentils are becoming hot now because of human nutrition;lentil genetics, he adds. About half of lentil productivity is they are relevant sources of important nutrients, protein,due to good genetics. If growers could plant varieties with carbohydrates, micronutrients, vitamins and fiber. As part ofgood genetics, that is a great start. One of our goals is to demographic growth and urbanization, consumer behaviorincrease nutritional quality of lentils by improving its iron changes and they prefer healthier foods. and zinc content. I also think of breeding high-protein lentils. From a sustainability standpoint, lentil is an importantConsumers have developed interests in plant-based protein. rotational crop for sustainable agriculture, Bandillo adds.Pulse crops have emerged as a frontrunner. We can also They require less water and reduce the need for nitrogendevelop high-protein lentils with a nutritional profile best fertilizers because they have the ability to fix nitrogen gassuited for making plant-based burgers. Maybe those varieties from the air and store it in their roots. will be in demand by farmers and processors in the future. Another half of lentil productivity is through good Cool Season Crops Are Hotagronomic practices, Bandillo continues. Planting density, As cool season crops, lentils grow very well in environmentstiming of planting, how much and what fertilizers and herbi-where its cooler, such as the Dakotas, Montana, Washingtoncides to use all contribute to the economics of growing lentils. and Idaho, Bandillo says. More than 90% of U.S. lentil pro- In addition to breeding pulse crops, part of our long-term duction comes from that area. goal is to reduce the environmental impact of agriculture. Lentils are also an excellent crop for those farmers whoMeaning, along with the aim of maximizing yields, we would are looking to better manage their nitrogen applicationslike to reduce agronomic practices that adversely affect the while reducing production costs. environment, such as the application of herbicides and costly 54/ SEEDWORLD.COMJUNE 2020'