Salwa Said El-Sayied( 2013). Soil analysis of Wadi El-Kobaniya area in theWestern desert,Aswan Governorate,Egypt and its suitability for cultivation of some crops.J. of App. Sci., volum 28(5):104 -122 2013.
Abstract: Wadi El-Kobaniya area bounded by latitudes 24° 15- and 24° 33- North and Longitudes 32° 15- and 32° 30- East and the total area is about 30000 feddans, in the Western Desert, Aswan Governorate, South Egypt.
Twelve soil profiles were chosen to representative the main physiographic units and described in the field and collected soil samples to analyses.Three main physiographic units could be identified as follows:
Wadi bottom (represented by profiles 1 to 6), Wadi plain (profiles 7, 8 and 9) and alluvial fan (profiles 10, 11 and 12). According to land evaluation system undertaken by Sys (1991) and Sys et al (1993), the studied soils are affected by many of limiting factors, i.e. soil texture, calcium carbonate and salinity and alkalinity with variable intensity degrees. The current suitability of the studied soils could be categorized into one suitability classes (marginally suitable (S3) besides three subclasses (S3s1,n, S3s1,n and S3s1,n,t). To correct the severity of these limitations further land improvement shared to executed i.e. and in turn potential suitability surveyed as moderately suitable (S2) and marginally suitable (S3) characterized by moderately intensity of relatively coarse soil texture including gravel.This severity can be corrected by application of organic and inorganic soil amendments and salt leaching as well as drip and sprinkler irrigation systems to sustain favourable soil moisture content for plants.
By matching the parametric approach of land indices and the requirements of some specific crops (fields, vegetables and fruits), the obtained data of soil suitability for some selected crops (15 crops) which are presented for the studied soils developed on the identified physiographic units as land suitability guide tables, reveal that the current suitability were marginally suitable (S3), except some scattered areas developed on the alluvial fan physiographic units which are not suitable for, fruit trees (citrus and palm ). On the other hand, the potential suitability classes differed according to the satisfaction condition between different properties of soil developed on the studied physiographic units and plant requirements.
Keywords: ()
