STUDY AND EVALUATE EL GABAL EL ASFAR SOILS WHICH IRRIGATED BY SEWAGE SLUDGE

The investigated area is located to the east of the Nile Delta; it is bounded by latitudes 30° 11' 15" & 30° 14' 10" N and longitudes 31° 22' 05" & 31° 24' 20" E. According to period of irrigated by sewage effluents the soils of the area were divided into four grades. These include i) non-irrigated and barren, ii) irrigated for (24 years), iii) irrigated for (49 years) and iv) irrigated for 82 years until 2009 and after this changed to irrigated by ground water. Four soil profiles were taken to represent the soils of the area. Morphological description and soil sampling were conducted during the field work. The soil properties including texture, depth, organic matter (OM), EC, CaCO3, pH, CEC, and ESP have been determined. The soils were classified as: Typic Torripsamments and Typic Torriorthents according to the American soil taxonomy. The soil capability classes ranged between (2) good and (5) very poor. The soil suitability ranged between S1 and S3. The soils of  the area are suitable for field crops (Wheat, Barley, Faba bean, Sugar beat, Sun flower, Maize,  Soya bean, Peanut, Cotton, Sugar Cane), vegetable (Tomato, Pepper, Watermelon, Alfalfa, Sorghum), and fruit (Citrus, Grape, Olive, Apple, Pear, Figs, Date palm). The soils are in general not suitable for Cabbage, Onion, Rice and Banana.