Author(s): P. GHOSH, A. P. PATRA ANDS. S.NAYEK

Abstract: A field experiment with rainy season legumes, viz., gre~ngram cv. T 44, blackgram cv. B 76, soybean cv. PK 327, groundnut cv. JL 24 (all for seed), ricebean cv. K l (for green fodder) and cowpea cv. Luffa (for green pod), along with direct-sown rice cv. MW 10 was conducted at Instructional Farm, Jaguli, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, West Bengal, India during rainy season of 1998 and 1999. It revealed that, groundnut produced maximum number of nodule per plant that continued upto last stage (105 DAS). Soybean recorded the highest volume and dry weight of nodule per plant (at 63 DAS). Greengram and cowpea showed poor perfonnance in these respects. Ricebean and blackgram were intermediate between them. Nitrogen content in leaf (2.16 to 2.77%) and stem (0.77 to 1.37%) of legumes were higher than rice (1.37% and 0.60%, respectively). Removal of nitrogen by rice was lower than soybean, groundnut and ricebean, but higher than other legumes. Removal of potassium by rice was higher than legumes. Rice equivalent yield (t ha\"1 ) of soybean (11.77), cowpea (8.47), groundnut (5.27), blackgram (5.20), ricebean (3.88) and greengram (3 .79) were higher than rice grain yield (2.52), indicating the possibility of legumes to be a substitute of conventional direct-sown rice in the upland situation. Total nitrogen content in the soil after ricebean was 0.108%, soybean 0.088% and groundnut 0.085% which were better than rice (0.052 %).

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