Egypt - FAO wheat database

Egypt production potential

Climate

Egypt occupies the north-east corner of Africa and lies between latitudes 22^oN and 32^oN and longitudes 25^oE and 36^oE. Most of the country has a hot sub-tropical desert climate. Winters are without frost, but sufficiently cool for wheat. Rainfall is negligible. No crop can be grown in this climate without irrigation. In Upper Egypt, warmer mean daily temperatures during winter restrict wheat yields.

In Middle Egypt and the Nile Delta, winter temperatures are suitable for wheat. The mean daily temperature during the wheat growing period at Giza (Middle Egypt) is 15.7^oC and at Mansoura (Delta) it is 16.4^oC. By comparison, the mean daily temperature at Aswan (Upper Egypt) during the same period is 21.4^oC. As a result, average wheat yields in Upper Egypt are about half of those obtained in Middle Egypt and the Delta.

A narrow belt about 60 km wide along the entire northern coast has a sub-tropical semi-arid mediterranean climate. Annual rainfall, in winter and spring, is between 100 and 200 mm. The completely dry summers are warm, and the wintern are without frost, but cool. In this coastal belt the marine influence holds the mean minimum temperature in winter above 12.0 ^oC. Precipitation is too small for even a marginal wheat crop. There is a low potential for rainfed barley.

A narrow strip of land along the Red Sea coast in the south-eastern part of the country has a hot tropical desert climate. Rainfall is negligible and winters are too warm for wheat.

Soils

The most important soils in the Delta and the flood plain of the River Nile are stratified loams or clays (calcaric fluvisols). They are moderately calcareous with pH values from 8.1 to 8.3; in saline-sodic patches the pH value is more than 8.5. These soils have high potential for irrigated crops. Very strongly saline soils (solonchaks) are found in a narrow coastal belt some 40 km wide in the Delta area.

Other soils of semi-arid mediterranean climates (xerosols and yermosols) occur in the estern Mediterranean coastal strip extending from Alexandria in the east to the Libyan border in the west. They are deep clay soils near the north-western tip of the Nile Delta, and sandy, loamy and gravelly in other parts. But for the limitations of climate, these soils have a medium to high potential for wheat.

The rest of the country consists mainly of stony, mountainous and sandy desert areas with little potential for improvement except as poor rangelands.

Wheat production potential

Wheat production potential in Egypt is assessed only under irrigated conditions, both for areas already irrigated and for those which may come under irrigation in future. Small areas of land that could grow wheat with irrigation from local groundwater sources such as springs are left out of consideration because of their limited extent and preferred alternative uses.

Wheat production potential in Egypt is delineated in seven mapping units:

Land with high potential (P1)

This mapping unit occurs as a narrow strip of land along the River Nile and in the central part of the Nile Delta. Almost the entire area of the mapping unit has been under irrigation for many centuries. Some areas within the unit have been affected by localized salinity.

Just over half the mapping unit comprises nearly level, stratified to weakly developed, deep, calcareous, medium- to fine-textured soils formed from river alluvium (calcaric fluvisols). One fifth of these soils has slight to medium surface salinity. In general these soils have a high potential (PI) for wheat, at high level of inputs.

Two fifths of the mapping unit are occupied by nearly level to concave patches of imperfectly drained, medium- to fine-textured soils (calcaric, and mollic restricted aeration presents a medium to severe limitation as does localized salinity). About three quarters of the area of these soils has medium potential (P2g) for irrigated wheat. The remainder has no potential (N). Much of the P2g land would have high potential (P1) after major improvements, including drainage and leaching of excess salts.

The remaining twentieth of the mapping unit is covered by stratified, coarse-textured soils (calcaric fluvisols) which have low potential (P3s) for wheat production.

Land with moderate potential (P2)

P2s. Potential limited by infertile soils. This mapping unit stretches along the eastern and western flanks of the Nile Delta. Most of it has been brought under irrigation, although some parts still remain unirrigated because of irregular relief.

Half of this mapping unit is on nearly level to undulating terrain with stratified to weakly developed, calcareous, sandy soils (calcaric regosols and calcaric fluvisols). These are not fertile soils. A small part of this are is gravelly and stony, and hence difficult to cultivate. When these soils are irrigated water losses are heavy. They have a medium potential (P2s) for irrigated wheat with a high level of inputs.

Two fifths of the mapping unit are on nearly level terrain with stratified to weakly developed, medium- to fine-textured soils (calcaric regosols, calcaric fluvisols and haplic xerosols). These soils have a high potential (P1) for wheat production.

The remaining tenth of the mapping unit is covered by dry, bare, severely saline, fine-textured soils subject to surface crusting (takyric solonchaks) and slightly saline, medium-textured soils with gypsum concentrations at shallow depths (gypsic yermosols). The former have no (N) potential, and the latter have low (P3a) potential for irrigated wheat production.

P2ts. Potential limited by stony and infertile soils. This mapping unit occurs in the form of narrow strips along the margins of the Nile valley. Its topography is nearly level to rolling, which causes some difficulty in irrigation, although by now this has been overcome in most districts. The important limitations for wheat production in this unit are stones and gravel in the soils, which are mostly sandy and infertile.

Three quarters of this unit are occupied by calcareous, coarse-textured soils (calcaric fluvisols and calcaric regosols) in which stones hinder cultural operations. They have medium to low potential (P2ts/P3ts) for wheat production.

The remaining quarter of the mapping unit is covered by calcareous, medium- to coarse-textured soils with gypsum concentrations at shallow depths (gypsic yermosols) and bare, crusted, severely saline, fine-textured soils (takyric solonchaks). These soils have low (P3a) to no (N) potential for wheat production.

Land with low potential (P3)

P3a. Potential limited by saline and sodic soils. This mapping unit occurs as a narrow belt along the Mediterranean coast and has been subject to flooding by sea. Half of this mapping unit has nearly level, saline and sodic, fine-textured soils affected by impeded drainage (gleyic solonchaks, soid phase). These soils have the severe limitations of salinity and a high water-table. They have low to no potential (P3a/N) for wheat.

Two fifths of the mapping unit consist of somewhat better drained, saline and sodic, fine-textured soils, three quarters of which have fair amounts of organic matter (mainly mollic solonchaks and mollic solonetz, some orthic solonchaks). These soils have low potential (P3a) for wheat.

The remaining tenth of the mapping unit Is covered by imperfectly to poorly drained soils (gleysols) and yound coastal sand dunes (regosols) with no potential (N) for wheat .

P3ts. Potential limited by stony and infertile soils. This mapping unit lies in the Upper Nile valley of Egypt where temperatures are 4^oC to 5^oC warmer than in the north, and too warm for satisfactory wheat yields. Little of this unit is presently under irrigation, because of its gently undulating to rolling topography.

Four fifths of this mapping unit consist of stratified, weakly developed, calcareous coarse-textured soils (calcaric fluvisols and calcaric regosols) in which stones and gravel hinder cultural operations.

The remaining fifth of the mapping unit has weakly developed, medium-textured soils with large gypsum concentrations at shallow depths (gypsic yermosols) and bare, severely saline, moderately fine-textured soils subject to surface crusting ( takyric solonchaks). The former have low (P3a) potential for wheat, and the latter have none (N).

Land with no potential (N)

This mapping unit comprises all land in Egypt that is neither currently irrigated nor likely to become so. Extension of irrigation is restricted by unfavourable relief, poor soils conditions and lack of suitable irrigation water. This entire unit has no potential for wheat production.