The relative salt tolerance of clusterbean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba L. Taub) at different stages of growth was determined under various levels of NaCI (0,4,8 and 12 dS m’) in a pot culture experiment. Results revealed that salt sensitivity varied with the stage of growth. Flowering stage was the most sensitive to NaCI for seed and pod yields. However, dry matter production was affected more adversely by salinity at the seedling stage, followed by vegetative and flowering stages. Salinity induced changes in the levels of certain leaf metabolites (starch, reducing sugars, total chlorophyll, soluble protein, free amino acids and free proline) and activities of enzymes (NR, GS and GDH) also showed stage dependent variations. Increasing salinity led to significantly higher metabolic derangements which were particularly more pronounced at the flowering stage, as compared with other stages of growth.
