Mapping Soil Types in the North El Bahrya Oases, Egypt, using Remote Sensing and GIS for Agricultural Planning

Ismail, Mohamed Sayed; El Ghonamey, Yousif Kotb; Ganzour, Shimaa Kamal; Allam, Ahlam Sayed

doi:10.21608/ejss.2024.297389.1791

Mapping Soil Types in the North El Bahrya Oases, Egypt, using Remote Sensing and GIS for Agricultural Planning

Document Type : Review papers

Authors

¹ Remote Sensing & GIS Unit; Soils, Water and Environmental Research Institute; ARC.

² Soils, Water and Environment Research Institute (SWERI) - ARC

³ Rs & GIS Unit, Soils, Water and Environment Research Institute (SWERI), Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Cairo

⁴ Soil and Water Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Fayoum Univ., Egypt

10.21608/ejss.2024.297389.1791

Abstract

One of Egypt's top priorities for future agricultural development is the Northern El Bahrya Oases region. The region under study lies between longitudes 29° 9' 28.433'', 29° 22' 32.785'' East and latitudes 28° 57' 38.309'', 28° 58' 41.324" North. This corresponds to a region of roughly 46228 Fed.. The Digital Elevation Model (DEM) is utilized and thematic maps of soil properties to produce digital land capability and suitability maps. The spatial analysis tool in the Arc-GIS 10.8 program generated thematic layers. Physiographic mapping units were created; the studied area has one landscape, i.e., a plateau. The land capability was evaluated by the method of storie index; the studied area was categorized into three capability grades, i.e., grade 2, grade 3, and grade 4. The soil grade 2 (66.41 % of the whole region) has moderate limitations for agricultural crops; however, texture is the greatest limiting factor. In the area of grade 3 (25.59%), texture and salinity are limiting factors, while in the soils of grade 4 (7.99% of the total studied area), texture, depth, and salinity are the chief limiting factors for agriculture. Land suitability was done according to Sys and others for some crops and transferred to GIS to produce digital maps. The fertility maps of soil nutrients for N, P, K, Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu are included.

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