Omran, A.M.( 2012). Assessing the agricultural potentiality of some soils in el-fayoum governorate, egypt.Fayoum J. Agric. Res. & Dev., Vol. 26, No.1, January, 2012
Abstract: The study area occupies the western part of El-Fayoum governorate adjacent to Qarun Lake and bounded by longitudes 30o 21\ 15\\ to 30o 26\ 0.0\\ East and latitudes 29o 25\ 0.0\\ to 29o 30\ 0.0\\ North. It incorporates an area of 24777.7 feddans. This area is being reclaimed now to be a link between El-Fayoum governorate and Western Desert. The present study aims at evaluating the agriculture potentiality of the soils in the study area to determine the most appropriate land use. GIS technique was used in this study for producing physiographic map of the studied area. Land sat ETM images and digital elevation model (DEM) were used in Arc 9.0 software to produce the physiographic map of the studied area at the landform level. The obtained results show that the studied area comprises six distinct landscapes, i.e back slope (32.5%), foot slope (18.1%), terraces (10%), plain (9.2%), Alluvial plain (cultivated phase)(26.5%) and sand dunes (3.7). Eleven soil profiles represent the main physiographic units in the studied area have been investigated to reveal the main characteristics of these soils. The soils were classified to the family levels on the basis of the keys of soil taxonomy. The results indicate that the studied soils could be classified into two orders Aridisols and Entisols and three suborders (calcids, salids and psamments) and their degradation up to the family levels (i.e six families). According to land evaluation system undertaken by Sys et al (1991), the studied soils are affected by many of limiting factors, i.e topography, texture, salinity and alkalinity and calcium carbonate content with variable intensity degrees. The current suitability of the studied soils assessed three classes of moderately suitable (S2, plain and Alluvial plain (cultivated phase)area), marginally suitable (S3, sand dunes and some soil of foot slope) and Unsuitable (N1, some soil of foot slope profile,4 and terraces profile,11). By executing the suitable soil improvement practices, the potential suitability classes assessed three classes, i.e highly suitable (S1, plain and Alluvial plain (cultivated phase)area), moderately suitable (S2, Alluvial plain (cultivated phase)area profile, 9, sand dunes and foot slope) and marginally suitable (S3, terraces). Land suitability for certain crops can be achieved by matching the ratings of land characteristics with crop requirements in different suitability levels as proposed by Sys et al. (1993). It could be identified current suitability for specified utilization with the representative soils developed on the different physiographic units of the studied area for the selected fourteen different crops (field crops, vegetables and fruits trees).
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