Response of Maize to Different Intercropping Systems and Different Sowing Dates of Cowpea

Abstract

The recent challenge in agriculture is producing more yields by consuming less water, especially in areas with limited resources of land and water. The study was carried out at Sakha Agricultural Research station., kafr el- sheikh governorate, Egypt, during the 2018 and 2019 summer seasons to evaluate productivity and economic profitability of cowpea intercrop with maize under different sowing dates of cowpea as well as evaluate the efficiency of the system using the land equivalent ratio (LER), water equivalent ratio (WER), some water relations also Gross return. The split-plot design with three replications was used. The main plots were assigned to the cowpea sowing date (D1-1st May, D2 - 20th May, and D3- 9th June), the sub-plot was contained to the intercropping pattern (P1-(1:1), P2- (1:2) and P3-(2:4)). The highest values of irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) and crop water use efficiency (CWUE) were given with the first sowing date under the intercropping system (1:2). The cowpea sowing dates had no significant differences in yield and some components of maize and on its interaction with intercropping patterns. The highest LER was found with the third sowing date for cowpea under intercropping system (1:2) treatment in two seasons, respectively. In economic viewpoint high additional increase in profits over each cost for all intercropping patterns especially the third sowing date for cowpea under the intercropping system (1:2).