INFLUENCE OF INOCULATION WITH ASCOCHYTA LENTIS ON MINERAL CONTENTS (NA, CA, MG, ZN, CU AND FE) OF SUSCEPTIBLE AND RESISTANT LINES OF LENTIL (LENS CULINARIS MEDIK.)

An experiment was conducted to determine the mineral contents of the healthy and inoculated plant of lentil and their relationship toward the Ascochyta lentis disease. The results revealed that magnesium, copper and zinc contents of un-inoculated lentil lines, included in susceptible group were higher than those included in resistant group whereas, sodium, calcium and iron contents were more in the resistant as compared to the susceptible group. Upon inoculation with Ascochyta lentis, the cause of lentil blight disease, sodium, calcium, zinc, copper and iron contents increased invariably in both the susceptible and resistant groups of lentil lines. On the other hand, magnesium contents increased in susceptible group but decreased in resistant group. The over all results proved that considerable variation exists in micromineral contents of resistant and susceptible lines of lentil.