Omran A.M ., Abd El-Latif A.D. and Soliman Y.R.A( 2014). Evaluation of land suitability for agriculture in wadi abu shieh- assiut governorate.Fayoum J. Agric. Res. & Dev., Vol. 29, No.2, July, 2014
Abstract: The studied area is located between latitudes 26° 49` 26= & 26° 56`14= North and longitudes 31° 30`41= & 31° 41`48= East Fig (1). Total space of studied area is 233 km2. The aim of this study is to evaluate the physiographic soil units including soil classification and its suitability for agriculture. The studied area has almost flat to undulating topography. The soils are deep sand to sandy clay loam with dominance of coarse texture and high gravel content in most of soil profiles with some stones in the old terraces and fans and outwash plain units. All studied soils have also low gypsum content and moderate calcium carbonate content, whereas some soils of old terraces have calcic diagnostic horizon. Soil salinity levels varied between non-saline into highly saline.
The physiographic units of studied soils were attributed as:
(1) Old colluvial terraces. Including soil taxonomic units;
- Typic Haplocalsids, Sandy skeletal, mixed, hyperthermic.
(2) Wadi bottom. Including soil taxonomic units;
- Typic Torriorthents Sandy skeletal, mixed, hyperthermic.
(3) Wadi plains. Including soil taxonomic units;
- Typic Torriorthents Sandy, mixed, hyperthermic.
- Typic Torriorthents, Coarse-loamy, mixed, hyperthermic.
(4) Fans and outwash plains. Including soil taxonomic units;
- Typic Torriorthents Sandy-skeletal, mixed, hyperthermic.
Current suitability of soil physiographic units could be categorized into three classes as; moderately suitable (S2) for some soils in wadi bottoms and wadi plains, marginally suitable (S3) in fans and outwash plains and some soils of wadi bottom and wadi plain, and not suitable (N1) for old colluvial terraces.
Data of potential suitability levels reveal that the soils of wadi plain have the highest suitability levels followed by wadi bottoms, fans and outwash plains and old colluvial terraces, respectively.
The potential land suitability for certain crops could be classified as follow;
(a) Highly suitable (S1) in wadi plain soils for alfalfa and olives and in wadi bottom soils for olives.
(b) Moderately suitable (S2) in soils of;
- Wadi plain for wheat, barley, maize, cotton, sunflower, sorghum, onion, banana, citrus, guava and mango.
- Wadi bottom for maize, alfalfa, tomato, watermelon and citrus.
- Old colluvial terraces and fans and outwash plains for olives.
(c) Marginally suitable (S3) in soils of; - Wadi bottom for wheat, barley, cotton, sorghum, sunflower, onion, banana, guava and mango.
- Fans and outwash plains for maize, cotton, sesame, sunflower, alfalfa, sorghum, onion, tomato, watermelon, citrus, guava and mango.
- Old colluvial terraces for maize, sesame, sunflower, alfalfa, sorghum, tomato, watermelon, citrus and mango.
(d) Not suitable (N) in soils of; - Fans and outwash plains for wheat, barley and banana.
- Old colluvial terraces for wheat, barley, cotton, onion, banana and guava.
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