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EGYPT |
LAND RESOURCES BRIGHT SPOTS |
The purpose of the soil improvement programme is to improve the soil characteristics in order to establish optimal conditions for plant growth. The main soil constraints to plant growth are salinity, alkalinity, soil compaction, uneven land surface and high water tables. The combination of all of these factors can reduce yields by 50%. To remove these constraints, an effective system in the combination of soil improvement applications and good soil management practices is required. EALIP Land Improvement Program consist of the following : Soil and water survey to determine soil characteristics and requirements, for gypsum application, subsoiling and land levelling, orthophoto maps at a scale of 1 : 25000 which could be used as base maps to select the most appropriate sites :- - Course leveling.
The Soil Improvement Program is currently
implemented in 22 out of the 27 Governorates of Egypt. To implement the program,
EALIP will includes :- As a result of implementing the soil improvement program, an increase in yield of different crops ranged between 50% to 150% of the initial yield. Since the establishment of EALIP until 1997, the following soil improvement activities were accomplished; - Sub-soiling an area of 5.956.871 feddans.- Addition of 6.719.879 tons of gypsum to the sequire of areas .- Upgrading and reshaping of drainage canals to serve 7.225.597 feddans.- Land levelling using updating technology which is introduced and carried out by the laser beam. - Recording an increase in the agricultural production exceeding 30% was reached.
Soil compaction is one of the major soil constraints
affecting crop production. The main purpose for subsoiling is to decrease the degree of
compaction and enhance drainage and filtration. Subsoiling leaves slits or grooves in the
previously compacted soils which help air and water movement through the soil and permits
entry of dissolved gypsum to reclaim sodic soils.
The common treatment for sodic soils improvement is
to apply calcium ions in the form of gypsum to leach and soluble salts. The physical and
chemical properties of the soils are improved directly around the seeding as well as
the biological improvement. The direct aim of reshaping of drains is to lower
the moisture content of the upper layer of the soil . This is commonly achieved by
lowering the water table, consequently optimizing soil physical environment. Precision land leveling is recommended as a part of
soil and water management program to produce an ideal land surface. Proper leveled
fields compared to non leveled fields results in a yield increase between 10 and 25% , a
reduction of irrigation time of 25 - 50% and a cropping intensity between 0 - 15 % or
higher. One of the main activities of EALIP is soil
conservation. The Government gives urgent attention to reduce the loss of arable land to
urbanization for three important reasons:-
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