Use of satellite data and GIS for assessing the agricultural potentiality of the soils South Farafra Oasis, Western Dese
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Use of satellite data and GIS for assessing the agricultural potentiality of the soils South Farafra Oasis, Western Desert, Egypt Wael Ahmed Mohamed Abdel Kawy & Islam H. Abou El-Magd
Received: 7 August 2011 / Accepted: 10 January 2012 / Published online: 22 January 2012 # Saudi Society for Geosciences 2012
Abstract Overpopulation and food security are the main global problems alert decision makers. In developing countries, such problem put extra pressure for horizontal expansion for agricultural development. The rapid sprawl of urbanized areas on the alluvial land of the River Nile and delta to accommodate the population growth has encouraged governmental and private sector for agricultural expansion in the desert. Unless there are reliable information and accurate studies for land and soil suitability, there will be a collapse of such investment. To evaluate the potential suitability of soil for agriculture development in areas of the western desert, satellite images, geographic information, and field survey including soil profiles and artesian water samples with laboratory analysis were integrated to classify the soils according their suitability for specific crop. The main land qualities of the different mapping units and the crop requirement were rated and matched to obtain the current and potential land suitability using Automated Land Evaluation System “ALES”. The study found that the main physiographic units are plateaus, hilland, mountain, and depression floor. But there are three limiting parameters for land suitability which are the lack of nutrient elements, wind erosion vulnerability, and soil texture. The study concluded that the best crops adapted with the soil conditions and could be feasible for economic use are: (1) native vegetation such as agol, sand trees, sammar, halfaa, bawaal, qordaob, bardi, and qortom; (2) filed crops such as W. A. M. Abdel Kawy (*) Soils Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt e-mail: [email protected] I. H. Abou El-Magd Environment Department, National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Science, Cairo, Egypt
onion, garlic, watermelon and wheat; and (3) fruits such as olive and date palms. Keywords Land suitability . Agriculture potentiality . South Frafra Oasis . GIS . Remote sensing
Introduction Overpopulation and limited land in the Nile River Flood Plain and Delta put pressure on the government to put plans for horizontal expansion in the desert for food security. The investigated area is called “Abu Minqar” and it is located to the south of Farafra Oasis, New Valley Governorate is one of the prime targets for such expansion plans (ASRT 1989). Such expansion requires precise information to secure decision-making process for investment in the area. Two main parameters require being detailed studies which are the soil suitability and water availability for crops cultivation from an economic standpoint. Land suitability assessment for agriculture is meant to evaluate the ability of a piece of land to provide the optima
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