ABSTRACT
In most of the developing countries, lentil is the main source of dietery proteins for the common people who cannot afford to buy red meat, fish and eggs. Lentil contains as much as proteins (about 24.2%) present in red meat, fish and egg, 60% carbohydrate and 2.4 - 4.2% mineral matter (Hulse 1994). Despite the fact that lentil is one of mankind's oldest cultivated crop plants, its agronomic performances are similar to a wild rather than a cultivated plant. As with other food legume crops, lentil production and productivity are both affected by many biotic and abiotic stress factors. The main constraints for lentil breeding and production are the poor yield stability and high susceptibility to fungal diseases.
