Quality of western Canadian lentils 2024

Growing and harvesting conditions

Figure 1 and Figure 2 show the monthly mean temperature differences from normal in the Prairie region during the 2024 growing season (June and July). Figure 3 shows the total precipitation in the Prairie region from April 1 to October 31, 2024.

Source

Map compiled using the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Map Archive.

Source

Map compiled using the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Map Archive.

Source

Map compiled using the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Map Archive.

In Saskatchewan, seeding started in early May and was complete by early June. Cooler temperatures and rainfalls during this period (Figure 1 and Figure 3) delayed seeding operations and slowed plant growth. In July and August, crops developed and matured rapidly due to persistently hot and dry conditions (Figure 2 and Figure 3). The lentil harvest began in early August and was complete by early September. Yields were below average in the southeast and southwest regions, but in the rest of the province they were average or above average. The quality of lentils was good and most were in the top two grades.

In Alberta, warm weather allowed seeding to begin in mid-April. Cooler temperatures and rainfalls (Figure 1 and Figure 3) interrupted seeding and slowed plant growth. Seeding was complete by early June and was well ahead of the historical average date in the Peace region. Heat and drought stress in July (Figure 2) caused crops to come out of flowering prematurely. Some storms during August brought moisture that relieved plant stress and helped fill pods. Harvest was completed at a record pace between mid-August and mid-September due to favourable weather. Compared to the 5-year average, more lentils were in the top two grades, and yields were higher than expected in the south, northwest, and Peace regions.

Production

Lentil production in 2024 was estimated to be 2.4 million tonnes, which is 34.9% higher than in 2023 and 3.6% higher than the 10-year average of 2.3 million tonnes (Table 1). The higher production is due to a 16.4% increase in yield and a 15.9% increase in harvested area compared to 2023. Saskatchewan continues to dominate lentil production in western Canada, accounting for 87.0% of production, while Alberta accounts for 13.0%.

Harvest samples

Samples were submitted to the Canadian Grain Commission’s Harvest Sample Program by lentil producers and grain companies across western Canada (Figure 4). The program received 324 lentil samples, consisting of 163 green lentil samples and 161 red lentil samples.

All samples were graded and analyzed for protein content and seed size distribution. Seed size (small, medium and large) was determined using image analysis. Composites prepared for green lentils (No. 1 and No. 2 Canada combined) were based on seed size and crop region. Composites prepared for red lentils (No. 1 and No. 2 Canada combined) were based on crop region and variety.

The composite samples were tested for:

• moisture content
• protein content
• starch content
• total dietary fiber content
• crude fat content
• ash content
• mineral content
• 100-seed weight
• water absorption

The dehulling quality characteristics of red lentils were also evaluated.

The samples reported by grade do not necessarily represent the actual distribution of grades across western Canada.

Protein content

The protein content for green lentils (Table 2) ranged from 24.2% to 32.3% and for red lentils (Table 3) it ranged from 24.5% to 30.8%. The mean protein content was higher for green lentils (27.8%) and red lentils (27.7%) compared to 2023. The mean protein content of green and red lentils combined was higher than the 10-year mean of 27.0% (Figure 5). Table 4 and Table 5 contain the mean protein and starch values for green and red lentils, respectively, according to the applicable crop region (Figure 6).

Graph data

Mean protein content

Crop year	Protein content (%, dry basis)
2014	27.0
2015	25.9
2016	27.1
2017	25.6
2018	26.5
2019	27.2
2020	27.7
2021	27.5
2022	27.5
2023	27.5
2024	27.7
10-year mean (2014-2023)	27.0

Description

Manitoba crop regions: 1 (Southwest Manitoba), 2 (Northwest Manitoba), and 3 (Eastern Manitoba); Saskatchewan crop regions: 4 (Southeast Saskatchewan), 5 (Southwest Saskatchewan), 6 (Northeast Saskatchewan), and 7 (Northwest Saskatchewan); Alberta crop regions: 8 (Southern Alberta), 9 (Central Alberta), and 10 (Northern Alberta).

Green lentils

Table 6 contains the 2024 quality data for green lentil composites according to seed size. Small green lentils were higher in protein (29.0%) and total dietary fiber (15.4%) but lower in starch (43.2%) and crude fat (0.74%) compared to 2023. The ash content (2.9%) of small green lentils and the protein content (27.3%) of large green lentils were similar to 2023. Large green lentils were lower in starch (44.4%) and higher in total dietary fiber (15.0%), crude fat (0.89%) and ash content (2.9%) than in 2023.

Potassium (K) was the most abundant macroelement present in green lentils, followed by phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca). Among the microelements, iron (Fe) was the most abundant, followed by zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn) and copper (Cu). Ca content was lower and Cu content did not change, compared to 2023. Other elements in small and large green lentils increased, compared to 2023.

The 100-seed weight and water absorption per gram of seeds were lower for small and large green lentils, compared to 2023.

Image analysis was used to determine the seed size distribution of green lentils (Table 7). The reported results may differ from those obtained by conventional sieving techniques. For small green lentils, 75.4% were 4.5 millimetres (mm) or less in diameter, which is higher than in 2023 (59.6%). For large green lentils, 41.2% were 6.0 mm or smaller in diameter, which is higher than 2023 (34.8%).

Red lentils

Table 8 contains the 2024 quality data for red lentils. Red lentils were higher in protein (27.6%), total dietary fiber (14.8%) and ash (2.7%) but lower in starch (44.5%) and crude fat (0.84%) compared to 2023. The Ca content of red lentils was lower than in 2023, while other elements were higher than in 2023. The 100-seed weight (3.4 grams per 100 seeds) was lower than in 2023 and water absorption (0.96 grams water per gram of seeds) was identical to 2023.

Compared to 2023, the dehulling efficiency (78.2%) and the percentage of un-dehulled whole seeds were higher in 2024. The percentages of powdered seeds and broken seeds were lower than in 2023 (Table 8). The colour of dehulled red lentils was measured using a Hunterlab LabScan XE spectrocolorimeter with the CIE L*, a* and b* colour scale. The brightness (L*) of whole red lentils and splits was lower than in 2023. Dehulled whole red lentils exhibited more redness (a*) and yellowness (b*), and the dehulled splits had less redness (a*) and more yellowness (b*) than in 2023. There was a higher proportion of red lentils (73.3%) that were 5.0 mm or less in diameter, compared to 2023 (60.8%) (Table 9).

Acknowledgements

The Grain Research Laboratory acknowledges the cooperation of western Canadian pulse processors, producers and grain companies in supplying the samples of newly harvested lentils. We also are grateful to the following groups within the Canadian Grain Commission: Industry Services for assistance with grading samples; the Pulse Research Program staff for technical assistance; the staff of the trace elements unit for mineral analysis; and Multimedia services for their assistance in the publication of this document.