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a Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute, Talamara, Bekka Valley, Lebanon
b International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), P.O. Box 5466, Aleppo, Syria
c Grain Legumes, ICARDA, Terbol, Bekka Valley, Lebanon
* Corresponding author (a.sarker{at}cgiar.org).
‘Hala’ lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus subsp. culinaris) (Reg. No. CV-23, PI 643449) was developed at the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Aleppo, Syria, and released in 2003 by the Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute (LARI), Talamara, Lebanon. It is a high-yielding red lentil variety with resistance against Fusarium wilt disease, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lentis (Vasudeva & Srinavasan) Gordon. Hala is recommended for cultivation in all lentil-growing areas of Lebanon due to its wide adaptation.
The Food Legume Improvement Program of LARI, Lebanon, introduced line ILL 7010 from ICARDA in 2000 as part of the Lentil International Screening Nursery. It is a breeding line derived from the cross Sel. 80S42188/ILL 223. The female parent is a breeding line developed from the cross 76TA25 between ILL 474 of Syrian origin and ILL 485 of Lebanese origin. The female parent, ILL 223 is of Iranian origin. A bulk-pedigree method was followed to develop the line. Pedigree selection was practiced within the F4 segregating population, and the performance testing began in the F4:6 in a nonreplicated trial set up as an augmented design. Characteristics including higher podding intensity, medium maturity, nonlodging habit, and wilt resistance were considered during the initial selection. After testing in replicated preliminary and advanced yield trials in three contrasting locations (Tel Hadya and Breda in Syria and Terbol, Lebanon), Hala was entered in the international testing program as FLIP 90-41L, and later designated in ICARDA's Lentil Germplasm Catalog as ILL 7010 (ICARDA 1991).
Hala was first introduced into Lebanon via ICARDA at the Terbol station in 1991 as part of the Lentil International Screening Nursery (small seed). Since then, and until its release in 2002, it was evaluated in advanced yield trials, demonstration plots, and in 2000 Hala was evaluated in on-farm verification trials jointly held between ICARDA and the Department of Plant Breeding at LARI at different locations across Lebanon. Under farmer's field conditions, Hala produced average yields up to 2.5 t ha–1 depending on the year and location, an increase of about 12% over the check ‘Talia-2’. Lentil straw is a valuable animal feed in Lebanon, and this variety produces an average of 6.7 t ha–1 straw, which provides additional income to the farmers.
Vascular wilt is a major disease of lentil in Lebanon, and yield loss up to 72% has been noticed (Bayaa et al., 1986). Hala is resistant to vascular wilt and shows about 5% plant infestation compared with more than 70% with Syrian landrace ‘Hurani’, in the wilt-sick plot at Tel Hadya. Fusarium wilt evaluation was done in the wilt-sick plot and in a plastic house in the 1989 and 1990 seasons.
Hala is a semi-erect, tall cultivar with an average height of 30 cm. Its first pod-bearing node is about 16 cm above ground level, which allows machine harvest with minimum loss. Its leaves are dark green with pubescence, composed of 14 to 16 narrow leaflets, and end with long tendrils, which help maintain an upright canopy. At maturity, stems remain green and strong, indicating greater lignification, which contributes to lodging resistance. Its flower color is bluish-white. Plants bear an average of 41 pods, with 1.4 seeds per pod. Its seed-coat color is gray with dots. One reason for farmer acceptance is its large seed size (3.3 g 100 seed–1) compared with local varieties (2.8 g 100 seed–1). Hala has bright red cotyledons and is favored by consumers. It flowers in 103 d and matures in 126 d. Dehulled seed contain 26.2% protein, measured by the macro-Kjeldahl method.
Seed of Hala is maintained at LARI, Lebanon, and at the Integrated Gene Management Program, ICARDA, Aleppo, Syria. It is available in small quantities on written request. Plant variety protection will not be sought for Hala. Users of this variety are requested to acknowledge its source.
Footnotes
All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Permission for printing and for reprinting the material contained herein has been obtained by the publisher.
Received for publication June 15, 2006.
References
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