mashaparni :
Substitute:
Flour from the seed is used as a substitute for soap
Adultrants:
Adulteration of urad (Phaseolus mungo L.) husk, churi or bhusi by addition of soapstone powder
Controversy:
Vigna mungo resembles green gram (Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek) with two main differences: the corolla of Vigna mungo is bright yellow while that of Vigna radiata is pale yellow; black gram pods are erect whereas they are pendulous for green gram. Black gram is somewhat more hairy than green gram; the white hilum also protrudes from the seed. Black gram is sown on heavier soils and green gram is sown on lighter soils (Göhl, 1982).
Commercial value:
The main producer of black gram is India, which produces about 1.5 million t of seeds annually (Sharma et al., 2011). India consumes its entire production. The other main producers (Myanmar and Thailand) are the major exporters. Globally black gram accounts for more than 40% of total legume seeds traded (CRN India, 2011).
