LAND SUITABILITY EVALUATION OF PHYSIOGRAPHIC UNITS IN WADI EL-FARIGH, WESTERN DESERT, EGYPT.

Document Type : Research articles.

Authors

Soils, Water and Environ. Res. Inst., Agric. Res. Center, Giza, Egypt.

Abstract

The studied area is located between Latitude 300 06\ 59\\ to 300 12\
56\\North and Longitude300 36\ 31\\ to 300 45\ 44\\ East covering about 151
km
2. The object of this study is evaluate the physiographic soil units including
soil classification and its suitability for agriculture.
The physiographic units of Wadi El- Farigh soils were attributed as:
(1)Dry Valley including soil taxonomic units;
a-TypicTorriorthents, coarse loamy, mixed, hyperthermic.
b- TypicTorriorthents, sandy over loamy, mixed, hyperthermic.
c- TypicTorriorthents, fine loamy, mixed, hyperthermic.
d- TypicHaplocalcids, sandy, mixed, hyperthermic
(2)Alluvial Terraces including soil taxonomic units;
a-TypicTorriorthents, fine loamy over sandy, mixed, hyperthermic.
b- TypicTorriorthents, coarse loamy, mixed, hyperthermic
c-TypicTorriorthents, sandy, mixed, hyperthermic
.
(3) Wadi plain including taxonomic units;
a - TypicTorriorthents, fine loamy, mixed, hyperthermic.
(4)Piedmont plain including taxonomic units;
a-TypicHaplocalcids, loamy skeletal, mixed, hyperthermic.
Land suitability of physiographic units could be categorized into three
classes as; highly suitability (S1) for some soils in Wadi plains, moderately
suitability (S2) for dry valley and Wadi plains and marginally suitable (S3) for
Terraces and Piedmont plains.
Land suitabilities were sorted by matching rates of its characteristics
and limitations with crop water requirements to give the maximum output.
The proposed crops are classified as potential land suitability as;
A)Highly suitable (S1) in dry valley and wadi plains for olive.
B)Moderately suitable (S2) in dry valley and wadi plains for wheat, barley,
maize, cotton, sesame, sunflower, sorghum, onion, watermelon, citrus,
guava and mango. While, it is moderately suitable in terraces and piedmont
plains for olive, sesame and sorghum.
C)Marginally suitable (S3) in dry valley and wadi plains for banana. While, it
is marginally suitable in terraces and piedmont plains for wheat, barley,
maize, sunflower, onion, watermelon, citrus and mango.
D)Not suitable (N) in terraces soils for tomato and banana.


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