Assessment of Soil Degradation and Agricultural Land Suitability for Sustainable Land Management in Alexandria and El-Behiera Governorates, Egypt

Hassan, A. Ismail; Osama, R. Abd EL-Kawy; Haytham, M. Yehia; Mohamed, A. Allam

doi:10.21608/alexja.2017.65985

Assessment of Soil Degradation and Agricultural Land Suitability for Sustainable Land Management in Alexandria and El-Behiera Governorates, Egypt

Authors

¹ Department of Soil and Water Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Alexandria University, Egypt.

² Soil Salinity and Alkalinity Department, Soil&water&environment Institute, Agricultural Research Centre, Ministry of Agriculture, Egypt

10.21608/alexja.2017.65985

Abstract

The old agricultural land in Egypt is under continuous threat by different forms of land degradation, especially
chemical degradation. This research aimed to (1) assessing and mapping of soil degradation status in some parts of
Alexandria and El-Behiera governorates, (2) addressing causes of soil degradation, and (3) developing a rational
agricultural land use options to increase land productivity. Soil and water samples were collected for the assessment of
soil degradation and land suitability. Soil degradation was assessed based on the methodology developed by the Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO). Land suitability assessment was performed using the ALESarid-GIS model. Field
investigations and results of soil analyses indicated that the major type of land degradation in the study area is the
chemical soil degradation (soil salinization and alkalinization) and the main drivers of degradation are the inappropriate
land management practices. The results of soil chemical degradation showed that most of the investigated area (٨٩%) is
moderately degraded soil, whereas the low degraded soils covers the remaining area (11%). Also, the results indicated that
the whole investigated soils have a moderate level of biological degradation, which regards to the moderate level of soil
organic matter content. The results from ALESarid-GIS indicated that eighteen crops are considered the most suitable to
grow in the investigated area. The suitability classes of these crops vary among highly suitable (S1), moderately suitable
(S2) and marginally suitable (S3), but (S1+S2) of each crop covers more than 72% of the investigated area. Seven crops
can only be grown economically in in the highest levels of soil salinity and alkalinity in the study area, which are alfalfa,
wheat, barley, onion, sugar beet, rice and pear, since only these crops are considered highly (S1) and moderately (S2)
suitable to be grown in such levels of salinity and alkalinity

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