Land Suitability Assessment of a New Reclaimed Area, South Cairo Governorate, Eastern Desert, Egypt

摘要

THE CURRENT study was carried out in a new reclaimed area in El-Saff, 70 km south of Cairo, Eastern Desert, Egypt. It included soil classification and land suitability assessment, which are the main prerequisite steps for ensuring optimum land utilization. The study of soil characteristics provides basic information for the evaluation of the natural resource. In order to realize this objective, a number of 11 representative soil profiles were studied morphologically in the field and their physical and chemical characteristics were determined in the laboratory on representative samples. The soils are classified according to USDA (2006) as; Typic Torriorthents or Typic Haplocalcidsor Typic Salorthids. Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of the study area has been generated from the elevation points, Arc- GIS 9.0 software were used for this function. The soil parameters used to estimate the suitability index for certain crops are: soil texture including gravel content, soil depth, salinity and alkalinity status, calcium carbonate status, gypsum status, natural drainage conditions, slope and nutrient status. Twenty four crops were tested for land suitability evaluation, namely; alfalfa, barley, maize, soybean, sunflower, wheat, sesame, groundnut and,,, cotton (as field crops); pabbage, carrot, green pepper, onions, pofatoes, tomatoes and beans (as Vegetables crops) and banana, citrus, date palm, guava, mango, .olives, apples and grapes (as fruit crops). The obtained results reveal that with using the nutrient and salinity status into consideration (actual land suitability) the suitability index is downgraded (it could be rich to non-suitable class). However, corrections to the nutrient conditions and soil salinity (nonpermanent properties) give what is called potential land suitability. This is done by adding organic manure, using fertilizers and leaching the excess salts to upgrade the fertility of the soil. After correction of nutrient conditions and soil salinity, the suitability index is upgraded.Themain soil characteristics affecting tand suitability are; soil texture, gravel content and calcium carbonate content (permanent properties). The studied soils are evaluated as suitable, moderately suitable, marginally suitable or non-suitable for thesecrops.