EFFECT OF INTERCROPPING PATTERNS OF SUDANGRASS AND FORAGE COWPEA WITH DIFFERENT DENSITIES ON FORAGE YIELD, COMPETITIVE RELATIONSHIPS, AND PROFITABILITY

A field experiment was carried out during the summer seasons of 2023 and 2024 at Sakha Agricultural Research Station, Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate, Egypt, to study the effect of different seeding rates of forage cowpea (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60% of the recommended seeding rate “30 kg/fed”) intercropped with 100% sudangrass seed at a rate of 20 kg/fed on the yield of both crops and the competitive relationships. The treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The intercropping pattern of 100% sudangrass + 60% cowpea gave the highest production values ​​per feddan (fresh and dry yield/fed) and exhibited the highest crude protein percentage (CP%). Additionally, the same intercropping pattern yielded the highest land equivalent ratio (LER) and net return; thus, it could be the best option for the highest productive and economic values for farmers in the North Delta region of Egypt.