الفهرس 
Soil map and evaluation of north east El Baharya Oases area Egypt
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Abstract
The study area is located in the North East of El Baharya Oases
between longitude 29° 9’ 28.354” to 29° 27’ 38.264” East and latitudes 28°
47’ 26.562” to 29° 3’ 17.531” North and covers about 100,000 feddans.
A physiographic analysis using unsupervised classification, Digital
Elevation Model and soil topography on Sentinel 2A image August, 2021
was carried out to delineate the different physiographic units of the study
area. Seventy soil profiles were examined to represent the soils of the study
area. The study area was grouped into two main landscapes, Plateau and
Plain. They form 23.77 % and 76.23% of the study area, respectively. The
plateau has two mapping units (summit/shoulder and Backslope) and the
plain has three mapping units (slop facet complex, nearly level and tread).
The study soils are slightly to extremely saline (EC values range from
0.9 to 70.0 dS/m). Soil texture is sand to sandy loam. Soil pH values range
from 7.2 to 8.9. Organic matter content is very low (<0.4%).The
physiographic units were incorporated with soil analysis and field data to get
the taxonomic units of sub great group level to represent physiographic soil
map of the study area. The soils of the study area are classified as Aridisols
(Haplogypsids, Haplocalcids, Calcigypsids and Petrogypsids)and Entisols
(Torripsamments).
The current capability of soils is moderately suitable (S2), marginally
suitable (S3) and temporary not suitable (N1). The soils of class S2 form
69.26% of the study area. It includes one subclass S2x, as the texture is the
limiting factor. The soils of class S3 cover an area of about 24.14% and it
contains two subclasses namely S3xn (texture and salinity are the limiting
factors) and S3xd (texture and depth are limiting factors).The soils of class N1
from 6.58% of the study area (depth, salinity and texture are limiting
factors). Potential capability after applying some improvement, showed that
about 87.78% of the total study area would be moderately suitable S2x , while
12.22% of the study area would be marginally suitable S3x,d. Evaluation of
the actual and potential suitability of the soil to some crops such as wheat,
barley, olive, and tomato was also discussed.