Blackgram (Vigna mungo) is more salt tolerant than mungbean (Vigna radiata). This study was initiated to know whether the accumulation pattern of mineral ions in different plant parts plays a significant role in the differences in salt tolerance between the two Vigna species. Different mineral ions, viz. N, Cl, Na, K, Mg and Ca in different organs of two varieties of each of blackgram- Barimash-l (susceptible one) and Barimash-2 (tolerant one), and mungbean-Barimung-3 (tolerant one) and Barimung-4(susceptible one), were analyzed after growing with 0, 50, 75 and 100 mM NaCl solutions. The two crops showed a decreased but similar pattern of total N accumulation under saline conditions. The tolerant variety of both the crops showed a less reduction in total N than the susceptible one. Leaves showed the maximum while stem the minimum N, irrespective of levels of salinity. C l[-10] and N a+ accumulation increased with the increasing salinity levels. Interestingly, similar to a halophyte, the salt tolerant blackgram exhibited conspicuously higher amount of N a+ in the shoot than the salt-susceptible mungbean. However, the tolerant varieties showed less amount of N a+ than the susceptible one, especially in blackgram. Seeds of both Vigna spp. accumulated the minimum amount of N a+ than other plant parts. K+ accumulation decreased by salinity in most of the plant parts, except seeds. Blackgram showed larger reduction in K than mungbean. The Mg++ increased in leaves, petioles and stem by salinity while decreased in the roots, podshells and seeds in both the crops. Salinity increased Ca++ accumulation in all plant-parts except roots of both Vigna spp. Apparently, the leaves of mungbean accumulated higher concentration of Ca++ than blackgram. Varietal differences in the accumulation pattern of K+ , Mg++ and Ca++ were not clear. It was concluded that blackgram, presumably, possesses a similar salt tolerance mechanism to halophyte, and the pattern of accumulation of mineral ions in blackgram and mungbean was not fully ascribed to the differences in salinity tolerance between the two Vigna species.gna species.ies.s.ies.

Dry matter(DM) accumulation in different plant parts of two Vigna spp., blackgram(Vigna mungo) and mungbean(Vigna radiata), was compared at different levels of salinity. Two vaarieties of each of blackgram (Barimash-1 and Barimash-2) and mungbean(Barimung-3 and Barimung-4) were grown with 50, 75 and 100mM NaCl solutions and tap water as a control till maturity. The DM accumulation in all plant parts of the two crops devreased with the increasing salinity levels. The reducation was severe in mungbean compared to blackgram. On an average mungbean produced only 3% grain yield compared to 37% in blackgram at 100mM NaCl. The salinity induced growth reduction was relatively less in Barimash-2 than that in Barimash-1. In mungbean, the relative DM production of Barimung-3 was greater than Barimung-4. The extent of biomass reducation due to salinity in different plant parts was not similar. At maturity the rank of biomass accumulation (at 100 mM NaCl) in different plant parts of blackgram was in decreasing order by seeds pod-1 (97%), branch plant-1 (88%), 1000-grain weight (79%), plant height(72%), pods plant-1 (50%), leaf weight and root mass(both 49%) and stem weight (48%). In mungbean, the rank was in decreasing order by 1000-grain weight (57%), leaf weight (54%), plant height (52%), seeds pod-1 (50%), branch plant-1 (41%), root weight (34%), stem weight (24%) and pods plant-1 (6%). Therefore, salinity reduced grain yield more than straw and roots of the Vignaq spp., and blackgram is relatively more salt-tolerant than mungbean.

Field experiment was conducted during 1993-94 season to determine the pattern of nutrient uptake and productivity of maize/sweet potato intercropping system. Four levels of nitrogen (0, 50, 100 and 150kg N ha-1 ) and four levels of potassium (0, 40, 80 and 120kg K2 O ha-1 ) formed treatment variables. Plants were sampled periodically to determine dry matter and tissue concentrations of N and K in the individual plant components of intercropped maize and sweet potato. Nitrogen and potassium fertilizer did not interact significantly to nutrient uptake by any plant parts of intercropped maize and sweet potato. But application of N fertilizer independently enhanced N uptake in all the plant parts of maize and sweet potato. The uptake of N in leaf, leaf sheath, stem, husk, and cob of maize increased upto 90 days after planting (DAP) but grain continued to accumulate N till its maturity. Sweet potato exhibited a wide variation in N uptake pattern. Sweet potato leaf shared the maximum uptake of N at 50 DAP which rapidly increased at 70 DAP and then declined. Declination of N uptake by petiole and stem were observed after 120 DAP whereas N uptake by tuber increased slowly upto 90 DAP and then rapidly till harvest. Rate of applied K had very little effect on the uptake patterns in different components of intercropped maize. Pattern of K uptake by leaf, petiole and stem of sweet potato showed almost similar trend to N uptake. But uptake of K by tuber increased almost linearly with the K application. Pattern of N and K uptake by grain and tuber paralleled the grain yield of maize and sweet potato respectively. Intercropped productivity of maize and sweet potato found to be better by the application of 100kg N and 120 kg K2 O ha-1