Assessment of Some Different Methods of Classifying Land Suitability for Crop Cultivation, Central Sinai, Egypt

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Soil, Water and Environment Research Institute, Dept., Agric. Res. Center, Giza, Egypt.

2 Pedology Department, Desert Research Center, El-Matrya, Cairo, Egypt.

3 Soil Science Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Egypt

Abstract

Soil assessment plays a pivotal role in the development of sustainable agriculture to achieve highest productivity and lowest environmental menaces. The research aims to assess land for suitable agricultural use in the area of El-Gifgafa - central Sinai for sustainable agricultural development. In addition, a comparison of the land quality classification for different crops using Sys system and ALMAGRA model. The area of study is between 30 ° 11 'to 30 ° 27' N latitude and 33 ° 15 'to 33 ° 24 E longitude, it covers around 80.000 feddan. The North-Western and Middle of Sinai in Egypt located in Mediterranean region. Based on the geomorphological formation achieved in the area, the study area includes the alluvial plain, alluvial terraces, Wadi deposits, pediplain and rock out crops. The physical land suitability assessment, applied and described in this research, is reliant on globally acknowledged methods for arid and semi-arid areas of the Mediterranean region.  Results indicated that the area under investigation currently lacks high suitability for permanent crops where most land use systems fall into the categories of moderate or/ marginal suitability classes and non-suitable. Land suitability results for crops according to limiting factor method determined by Sys et al. (1993, part III) ranged from moderately suitable (S2) and permanently non-suitable (N2), while in accordance with MicrolIES model (ALMAGRA) land suitability were moderately suitable (S3), marginally suitable (S4) and non-suitable (S5). Alluvial plain mapping unit has a very small area moderately suitable to citrus

Keywords

Journal of Soil Sciences and Agricultural Engineering
Volume 12, Issue 12
December 2021
Pages 899-908

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