Abstract

Two field Experiments were carried out at the Research Farm of Nasser’s Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Aden (Delta Tuban) Lahej Governorate. during 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 seasons, to study the effect of intercropping patterns on yield and some yield components as well as competitive relantionships of maize and cowpea. This experiment included three interplanting systems(1:1, 2:1 and 1:2) for maize and cowpea respectively, in addition to sole cropping treatment. The results showed that the different interplanting systems significantly reduced biological yield, grain and seed yield/hectare of the two crops as well as a number of pods/plant of cowpea. Grain index (1000 kernel weight) of maize was significantly increased by interplanting systems ,except interplanting system(1:2) compared with pure planting in both seasons. The highest biological and grain yield of maize were obtained under(2:1) pattern, while biological and seed yield of cowpea significantly increased by (1:2) pattern, compared with the other intercropping systems in both seasons. Land equivalent ratio(LER) values indicated that intercropping cowpea with maize gave yield advantage at all intercropping patterns. Maize was the dominant intercrop, while cowpea was the dominated intercrop.