INFLUENCE OF SEEDING RATES AND ROW SPACINGS ON FORAGE YIELD AND QUALITY OF COWPEA (Vigna sinenses L.) GROWN IN THREE LOCATIONS

Abstract

Field experiments were carried out during 2009 and 2010 seasons at three Field Crops Research Stations of (Ismaelia, Sids and New valley). Five different seeding rates were used i.e. 25, 30, 35, 40 and 45 kg/fed and two row spacing i.e. , 30 and 60 cm. Split plot design in three replications are used. The results indicated that sowing at seeding rate of 35 kg/fed with 30 cm row spacing significantly increased all agronomic characters over all cuts and recorded 42.64 t/fed and 8.49 t/fed for total fresh and dry yield, and considered as the best recommended treatment to cowpea under New valley conditions. At Ismaelia conditions, the higher yield was obtained from sowing at seeding rate 45 kg /fed and row spacing of 30 and of 60 cm. Sowing at seeding rate 25 kg/fed with row spacing 30 cm was a perfect treatment for increasing yield. Over two cuts of Sids conditions sowing at seeding rate 30 kg /fed and row spacing 60 cm recorded the best result 15.63, 9.65 t/fed of fresh yield and 1.94, 1.04 t.fed-1 of dry yield for the first and second cuts. The results showed insignificant regression of total fresh yield related to the control was recorded R 2 = 0.2895, R 2 = 0.1888 and R 2 = 0.5822 for New Valley, Ismaelia and Sids, respectively. Chemical composition recorded means of 26.3% soluble carbohydrate, 17.4% crude protein, 21.8% crude fiber and 13.0% ash. Increasing in seeding rates amplified the competition among plants for environmental factors.