Forge yield and its quality of sudangrass and cowpea under different intercropping patterns

Abstract

The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of different intercropping patterns of sudangrass (a cereal forage) and cowpea (a leguminous forage) on forage yield and its quality. Two field experiments were carried out during 2018 and 2019 seasons at Sakha, Agricultural Research Station, Kafr El-Sheakh, Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Giza, Egypt, to study the forage yield and quality of sudangrass and cowpea under different intercropping patterns, i.e. (100% sudangrass+25% cowpea; 100% sudangrass+ 50% cowpea, 100% sudangrass+75% cowpea, 100% sudangrass+100% cowpea, 75% sudangrass+25% cowpea, 50% sudangrass+50% cowpea and 25% sudangrass+75% cowpea) of seeding rate per feddan, of sudangrass and cowpea compared to sole stands of both crops. Treatments were laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The obtained results showed that, 100% sudangrass + 75% cowpea (P3 treatment) gave the highest values yield/fed (fresh and dry yields). There was an increasing in mixed cowpea plants [25% sudangrass + 75% cowpea (P7) recorded the highest (CP%)], while increasing sudangrass in mixed of 100% sudangrass + 100% cowpea (P4) recorded the highest (CF%). 100% sudangrass + 75% cowpea (P3) gave the highest values of the land equivalent ratio (LER), relative crowding coefficient (K) and net return. The best intercropping pattern of 100% sudangrass + 75% cowpea (P3) which was significantly the highest forage productivity and quality, land equivalent ratio (LER), relative crowding coefficient (K), aggressivity and net return.