Osama S. Gendy, Hanan E. M. El Azab and Mostafa E. Wahdan( 2013). Land evaluation of the physiographic uints west the Middle part of nile wadi in egypt using remote sensing DataJ. Biol. Chem. Environ. Sci., 2013, Vol. 8(3):555-575
Abstract: The study area was located in the Western Desert west of the middle part of the Nile Wadi covering about 890565 feddens. The objective of this study is to evaluate an area of important situation for the agricultural development using remote sensing data. The physiographic units in the study area and the associated soils were attributed as: (a) Undulating alluvial terraces with rock outcrops include the soil taxonomic unit Typic Clacigypsids, loamy skeletal, mixed, hyperthermic, which is partly associated with Typic Haplocalcids loamy skeletal, carbonitic hyperthermic. (b) Undulating to gently undulating alluvial terraces include the taxonomic units of Typic Clacigypsids, loamy skeletal, mixed, hyperthermic as dominated soils and Typic Haplocalcides, Loamy skeletal, mixed, hyperthermic as minor soils. (c) Gently undulating alluvial terraces have the taxonomic units of Typic Haplocalcids loamy skeletal, mixed hyperthermic as dominant soils, while Sodic Haplocalcides, Loamy skeletal, mixed, hyperthermic and Typic Haplocalcides, coarse loamy , mixed, hyperthermic are in minor distributions. (d) Aeolian deposits include Typic Torripsamments, mixed (calcareous), hyperthermic as dominant soils and Typic Torripsamments, mixed, hyperthermic as minor soils. (e) Rock outcrops are consolidated structures and are not promising area for the agricultural land use. Land suitability levels were assessed for cultivating group of proposed crops, which include alfalfa, barley, cabbage, green pepper maize, potato, sesame, sorghum, tomato, wheat, citrus, date-palm, guava, mango and olives. The current suitability was negatively affected by some soil limitations, which require a major improvement concerning the soil salinity to improve the land suitability to be more profitable potential land suitability levels as: (i) High potential suitability in the undulating to gently undulating alluvial terraces, gently undulating alluvial terraces and the aeolian deposits for olive. (ii) Moderate potential suitability in the undulating alluvial terraces with rock outcrops is for olive. In the undulating to gently undulating terraces is for sesame and guava, while in the gently undulating terraces is for barley, cabbage, maize, sesame, tomato, wheat, date palm and guava. In the aeolian deposits is for alfalfa, barley, cabbage, maize, sesame, sorghum and wheat. (iii) Marginal potential suitability in the undulating alluvial terraces with rock outcrops is partly for alfalfa, cabbage, maize, potato, sorghum, wheat, citrus, date-palm and guava. In undulating to gently undulating alluvial terraces this marginal suitability is for alfalfa, barley, cabbage, maize, potato, sorghum and wheat, while in the gently undulating ones is for alfalfa, green pepper and sorghum. The aeolian deposits are marginally suitable for green pepper, potato tomato, citrus date- palm, guava and mango.
Keywords: (physiographic units, remote sensing data , land evaluation.)
