DRY-MATTER PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION AND NUTRIENT CONTENT OF GREENGRAM (PHASEOLUS-RADIATUS) VARIETIES AS INFLUENCED BY FERTILITY TREATMENT

A field experiment was conducted during summer 1986 with 4 varieties of greengram (Phaseolus radiatus L.) to study the dry-matter production, distribution and nutrient content as influenced by 6 fertility levels. Dry matter was higher in 'PIMS 4' at all growth stages and at harvest. Application of farmyard manure or P with or without N gave higher dry matter than the control, maximum being with combination of farmyard manure, N and P. Higher dry matter was partitioned to leaves in 'PIMS 4' in the vegetative stage which influenced the subsequent growth of the crop compared with other varieties. Chlorophyll content at 40 days after sowing and net assimilation rate (45-60 days after sowing), dry matter in leaf during vegetative stage and dry matter in pods during reproductive stage were higher with farmyard manure + NP than that obtained with the control. At harvest N and P were more with fertilizer application than the control. There was a close and positive correlation between leaf-dry weight at reproductive stage and grain yield, chlorophyll at 40 days after sowing and dry matter at harvest, and N content at harvest and grain yield. 'PIMS 4' gave the highest grain yield among the varieties. Application of farmyard manure @ 5 tonnes/ha along with 20 kg N and 22 kg P/ha gave higher grain yield than the other fertility levels.