effect of planting ratio and harvest time on forage quality of maize in maize-cowpea intercropping

to study the effect of planting rates and harvest time on forage quality of maize in maize-cowpea intercropping, an experiment was conducted at the research farm of zabol university, during 2007 and 2008. the experiment was arranged in a 7×2 factorial one in complete randomized block design with 4 replications. the two factors consisted of seven planting ratios of maize and cowpea (100:100, 100:50, 50:100, 50:50, 25:75, 75:25 maize – cowpea intercropping and a sole crop of maize) vs. two harvest times (milky and doughy stages of maturity). planting ratios and harvest times were significant for all traits except for ndf. maize-cowpea intercropping yielded higher forage quality than the sole crop of maize. 100:100 and 100:50 planting ratios of maize and cowpea in milky stage of maturity yielded the highest forage quality. maximum variation in dmd could be attributed to the adf. ideal forage could have lower adf and higher dmd, cp, wsc, ash, leaf to stem as well as seed to forage ratios.