Abstract |
ABSTRACT
The study area was located in the Western Desert west of the
middle part of the Nile Wadicovering 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 ofTypic Haplocalcids loamy skeletal, mixed
hyperthermic as dominant soils, whileSodic 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
LAND EVALUATION OF THE PHYSIOGRAPHIC UINTS WEST 556
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.
Key words: physiographic units, remote sensing data and land
Evaluation
|