A Field and Laboratory Study of the Soils of the Tahreer Province of Egypt
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A field and laboratory study of the soils of the Tahreer Province of Egypt Item Type text; Thesis-Reproduction (electronic) Authors Radwan, Mohamed Khalid, 1925- Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 23/09/2021 20:10:15 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/551263 A FIELD AND LABORATORY STUDY OF THE SOILS OF THE TAHREER PROVINCE OF EGYPT by Mohamed KhajJid Radwan A Thesis submitted to the faculty of the Department of Agricultural Chemistry and Soils in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE in the Graduate College, University of Arizona 1956 Approved: H,u> sr/ty st, Director of Thesis D ate k i:-' fMs - thesis h$S' been submitted In partial fulfillment of c, -.v..v '.v v;y >. ■. ■ ; : requirements for an advanced degree at the University; of Arizona and is deposited in the Library to. be made available to borrowers n under rules of the Library= Brief quotations from this thesis are allowable without•special permission^ provided that accurate acknowledgment of source is made0 Bequests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the head of the major depart ment or the dean of the Graduate College when in th e ir' judgment ” the proposed use of the material is in the interests of scholar- shin* In all other instances, however, permission must be obtained from th e author* f f ■ vq' ■ : ■ ■ ; , s im m i , - . Jf. KA. ■ ACKNOWLEDGMENT The w itef Mshes to express his thanks to the Egyptian Government - for creating the Tahreer Province and for having the honor of under taking this works He also wishes to: thank the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture and UoSoO.Mo to Egypt for, awarding this scholarship. Appreci ation is also expressed to Major M. Magdis Managing Director of the Tahreer Province for his sincere interest and encouragement and the facilities he offeredj'to carry on-thi s worko To Professor Ho ¥p Smith for his patience and constructive direction of the work represented by this fhesls^Othe,entiior is grateftil» .s!laeh: credit:also is due to Dr> T» F0 : Buehrer for his effort and advice In this work. To Dr« & Pf - Allam and • Dr„ Mo. El-Heneidy under whose supervision the in itia l.part of the work was conducted at the University of CalrOj, the author expresses his thanks and also, to other members of the, S oil Science Department .<£ the University of Cairo and Arizona; as well as to Dr* Mo El-Gabaly and Dr» Ho El™Ashkar, of the Epils Department, of Ale#ndrla:% to Dr>,- 1» Jenny5 : - .. University of California, for their many' helpful suggestions, during the course of this study« To the Egyptian laborers and to the unknown and unmentioned, who gave assistance, the author is grateful* TABLE OF CONTENTS Page il\!TKODU CT ION o 0- O 6 o ’ . O O O o O. O O 0 , 0 X E g y p t o o 6 d Location >=-■ Density of Population = Climate Geology p o o o o p o o & o , p , p Present Status of Agriculture, * » » 0 5 Irrigation = Quality of the Nile Water0 0 d 6 Proposed New Development <> 0 o » 0 0 d 11 TAHBEiB PROVINCE, « , > <* » » o' 0 » ; » . Q » 1 12 Purpose and Plan of the Investigation » o o . 13 Field Techni{p.e o o o o p o o - * o p l: Profile Description of the Soils, -v 'V = ' Figures Showing Soil Profiles, 0 0 o' o o ■ Lahoratory^^M^ Employed in This Investigation p op p o o p o » o , 22 CHABACTEBISTICS OF THE SOILS» » p o » » o 0 0 2? DlfetJSSION OF BESULTS v ^ * p » ■ ». « .» 47 . Teiture =■ Water Betentionso o 0 i „ p p . , : Nitrogen - Organic Matter ™ pi - 0 ■ 9 1 > %aracteristie8 of the Surface Soils * p » 52 MineralSg Nitrogen^ Phosphorus and Potash^ Texture) Silt and Clays Moisture Equivalent, p o o © o .p o , , , CON CLUSION o p p © © ■ o © ; ,, o ppoo o p 57 SDMMAByp. ■ p. 0 p. O P. O 0. 0 O O O O O O , O' 59 B1BLI0GBAPHT o p 0 o o o o o poop » o 62 . U SE ©F M L E S ..lys&er ' ' Page Gliiaatxc Data o- o o 0 ■ o o c & a a o o- ■ 2|. 20 Percentage Distribution of Suspended Particles o f the Nile Watero » 0 c o a » :» > »• * 9 3o Exchangeable Bases in Suspended Matter0 » » 9 4» Percentage Gomposition. of th e Dissolved Solid Matter in the Nile . • . « ' „ • 0 ' 0 \ 4Sr 0 1G 5=. Profile 1 - Ao, Mechanical Analysis . 0 d d 0 28 Bo Chemical Analysis. e 0 0 %O' ■ 0 29 &o Profile, 2 '«# A. Mechanical Analysis . 0 0 - O 31 B. Ghemical Analysis. » 0 0 0" 0 32 7° Profile 3 *= A. Mechanical Analysis . 0 0 6 0 34 B. Chemical Analysis. O 0 35 80 Profile 4 —. A. Mechanical Analysis » 0 0 37 B. Ghemical A nalysis. d ° 0 0. 38 9o Profile 5 - A. .Mechanical Analysis » 0 > 0 40 ■ B .' Ghemical' Analysis. : , 0 ,»■' O ;4 :. o‘ 41 : ;M 0: ' Profile 6 -= A. Mechanical Analysis . 0 O : ° 0 43 - ' B. Ghemical.Analysis. » 0 0 0 44 11. Neobauer Test » 0 0 ■ . 0. 0 0 . 46 12. pH Values Before and After Leaching. 0 0 0 0 51 HS$ OF FIGOBES ' - 20 . lap of Lower Egypt After the Greation of the Tahreer ‘ Provinceo Sampling sites indicated0 3o Soil Profile Bistribntion at Sampling Site Fp. 1 ko Soil Profile Distribution at Sampling Site Hoo 2 ' 5= Soil Profile Distribution at Sampling Site Ho0 3 60 Soil Profile Distribution at Sampling Site No, 4 7, Soil Profile- Distribution at Sampling Site No. 5 B. Soil Profile: Distribution at Sampling Site No. 6 . 9. Distribution of Silt arid dLay Throughout the Profile at Each Sampling Site. ' 10. Distribution of Cfe.0^ Throughout the Profile at Each ' , .:Sampling, p t e < : \ : ; 11. Distribution of Organic Matter Throughout the Profile at Each Sampling Site, 12. Relationship Between the Organic Matter Content of the Soil to Their Distance Northwest of Cairo. 13. Relationship Between Nitrogen Content of the Surface Soils to the Precipitation and Distance Northwest of - Cairo. ■ ■,, : -v v 1. - ■ - - 14. Relationship Between Moisture Equivalent of the Surface Soils to the Precipitation and Distance Northwest of Cairo. 1$. R elationship Between th e S ilt and Clay Content of the Surface Soils to Their Moisture Equivalent. ' ■■■;. LIST OF PLATES Mxitaber ■ v lo Tents Used by P arties Making Prelim inary Surveys of the Tahreer Province . • 2» Tractor Equipped With Jumbo Tires for Desert Travel % A Canal Built in Sand Before Placement of Concrete • Lining ' • : ' . : 4»:; Part; of' a Plant "Where Sectional Slabs of Concrete are v ;. Molded fo r Lining Irrig a tio n Canals . - ,' A': A:: Concrete 'Lined Gana,l::, : ': y-') . ■ . • Levelling Desert Soils With a Tractor Prior to Develop* , mentr for Irrigation; - ' - Eoitian Eurseiy 8 and % The Author^ Making Ghemical Analysis of th e Tahreer Soils in the Tahreer Laboratory ~ Egypt <, iOe Heubaur Test llo The Author Making Physical Analysis of th e Tahreer Soils, at the University of Arizona Laboratories vv; ■ A/ e d i t e r r a n c a n Alexandria s u i t I— - / r-> LEGEND • A FIELD MW LABORATORY STUDY OF THE SOILS. : OF THE TAHHEER PROVB\TGE OF EGYPT * ' ' D m o D u m m History records that Herodotus saiG in 457 BoCo "Eg^pt is the gift of the Mile01! E^pt is located in Horthem Africa^ east of Libia^ ; ’ north of th e Smdan^ west of th e Red Sea^ and bounded on th e north by the Mediterranean Sea (Figure l)o Because of its fertile landj, as we23L as its geographic position, linking the three continents of Asias Africa ' :v . and Europop Egypt has 'been9 from th e^ d aw -of' h isto ry y a focus of cul-' tu ralp economic^ and p o litic a l a c b iv itie s0 I t i s approximately S50 ' '■ ■ ; y- ■ "'x. \ ; . : ■ . miles from north to south and aliiost as wide0 The total area is about 386pOQO square mileSp which is approximately the combined size of Texas and lew Mexieo' or more than twice the area of California (13) o ■ ■ ' ■ ■ \ "...: V ::x.':;vy :>: v' :'y:' ::.'. / .ilm.: the ,,%per^ strip of land four to six miles in width which is eultiratedo The Delta in the lower reaches of th e Mile i s fan. shaped being 3O0 m le s wide near th e mouth* ’ The country as a whole forms part of a vast desert belt that extends from . the Atlantic Ocean acrdss Horth Africa -and Arabia0 legleeting the ' . oases spotted throughout the desert plateau on both sides of the Mile, there are only 13s 50§ square miles of cultivated land in Egypt or 2/30 of its whole area. Thisp seven million acres of cultivable land in Egypt p is a huge oasis In, the barren^ sandy desert 6 This- means that 22 million people mast live in an area the size of Maryland which sup ports a population of five, million people at present^ The density of population here is the highest in the world—about lj,600 per square mile as compared with 210#.the density pen square mile of cultivated land in the United States (23)0 Moreover the rate of population is increasing rapidly, % is population pressure has forced the govern- v .