Field Crop 2025, Vol.8, No.5, 222-230 http://cropscipublisher.com/index.php/fc 223 2 Major Weeds and Pests in Lentil Cultivation 2.1 Common weed species affecting lentils The newly sown lentils grow slowly, with sparse leaves and a very empty ground. Once the weeds sprout, they can easily gain the upper hand. Especially in the early stage, lentils have almost no resistance ability. Weeds like quinoa (Chenopodium album), Phalaris minor, Convolvulus arvensis, Avena sterilis, Glebionis coronaria are frequent visitors in many planting areas. Clearing them is time-consuming and affects the harvest. It has been tallied that more than twenty different kinds of weeds can sprout in the lentil field-no small number. The risk of output loss is not low either. Once not well controlled, a loss of more than 60% is not an exaggeration (Tariq et al., 2022; Rhioui et al., 2023). Of course, there are solutions. Manual weeding, mulching with plastic film, and herbicides are basically the common choices at present. However, the effectiveness and feasibility of each method still depend on local conditions and the tolerance of the lentils themselves (Sharma et al., 2018; Shivani et al., 2025). 2.2 Major insect pests in lentil fields Lentils are not only afraid of weeds, but also have a lot of insects. Some insects are messing around in the fields, while others are causing trouble during the storage stage. Cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera), aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum, Aphis craccivora) (Figure 1), cutworms (Amathes cnigrum), leaf weevils (Sitona spp.), tarnished plant bug (Lygus spp.), seed beetles (Bruchus lentis, Bruchus ervi). They almost cover the entire process of lentils' growth and storage. The Acyrthosiphon pisumis particularly troublesome. It not only absorbs SAP and harms seedlings but also may spread viruses. Once it breaks out, the entire yield may be ruined (Das et al., 2022; Zafeiriou et al., 2022). In addition, insects like the bean pod borer will specifically target developing seeds, while cutworms prefer to gnaw on young seedlings. The seed beetles do not show up until the lentils are collected, but it also poses a considerable threat to storage safety (Saeidi and Mirfakhraie, 2017; Bidar et al., 2021; Ebadi et al., 2025). 2.3 Region-specific weed and pest threats in key lentil-growing countries The trouble varies depending on where the lentils are grown. For instance, in India, weeds like quinoa and horseflies are the number one enemies. Cotton bollworms and aphids are always present, and cutworms also come to visit from time to time. What is more troublesome is that there is another parasitic weed called "Liudang", which has become a major concern in some areas (Mbasani-Mansi et al., 2019; En-Nahli et al., 2023). The situation in Canada is slightly different. The most annoying problem is the pea aphid. A specific economic threshold has been established locally to determine whether control is needed. As for the problem of weeds, the local climate and farming systems have also made the species more complex (Yang et al., 2021; Zhou et al., 2023). In Australia, the combination of insects and grass is largely similar, but they also have to deal with drug-resistant weeds and more adaptable pests, making the difficulty level even higher. 3 Effects of Weeds and Pests on Lentil Growth and Yield 3.1 Competition with weeds for water, nutrients, and light The lentil, as a crop, grew slowly and short in its early stage, and its leaves couldn't cover the ground, which naturally put it at a disadvantage. Once the weeds sprout, water, nutrients and sunlight all have to be snatched. How could the lentils withstand it? The result was quite obvious-it did not grow tall, had few branches, and the pods shrank. Eventually, the seed yield declined (Sirisha et al., 2020; Birla et al., 2023). In fact, many studies have long pointed out that if weeds are not removed in time, the yield may drop by a quarter to 80%, especially for those plots that have never been weeded from beginning to end, the losses are the most severe. Of course, there are solutions available, such as manual weeding, spraying pesticides, or a combination of these, all of which can improve growth and output overall (Kumari et al., 2022). 3.2 Damage by pests during seedling, flowering, and podding stages Cutworms like to bully the newly emerged tender seedlings. Each bite is accurate. With fewer seedlings, the yield naturally won't increase later. When the flowers bloom and pods form, aphids and pod bores take over. These two not only eat plants but also do not spare the developing seeds, and may even bring germs to cause trouble (Tosti et
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