How University of Reading lent a hand in UK lentil production | Letters
by Letters from on (#310F4)
News of the UK's first lentil harvest prompts memories of university research projects from Prof Richard Ellis, and speculation about the footwear of lentil pickers from Michael Cunningham
I was pleased to learn of farmers' success with British lentil production (Finger on pulse: harvest time for UK's lentil crops, 31 August). This augurs well for improved food chain traceability, UK food supply resilience and, of course, other advantages from legumes such as nitrogen fixation.
However, I was surprised by the comment that producers were told it was impossible to grow lentils in the UK. Projects here at the University of Reading in the 1990s confirmed that while both spring- and autumn-sown lentils could be grown (and combined) successfully, the latter provided a more reliable high-quality lentil suitable for human consumption.
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