ABSTRACT
The amount of water is considered as the restrictive factor for the
growth of plants and the productivity of yields. Plant growth is directly
influenced by soil water stress, which depends on different soil
potentials. Faba bean and Zea maize are considered from the most
important irrigated arable crop in Egypt. The total cultivated area of bean
and maize during the growing season is 306626 and 1623201,
respectively. In the absence of irrigation, variation in the supply of soil
water is known to be the primary cause of variation in yield. The aim of
the work was to study physical and chemical characterization in order to
manage heavy metals in calcareous soil and improve quality of soil in
situ.
Heavy metal measurements were performed for samples of
calcareous soils from Abu Massoud village in Maryout area Cairo-
Alexandria Highway. Two field experiments were conducted, to study
the impact of two tillage depths (20, 60 cm) on heavy metal
accumulation, growth parameters yield and yield value of bean and
maize.
The results obtained showed higher environmental and economic
values for growth and yield parameters, with increased tillage depth for
both crops during both growing seasons. Bean and Maize yield were
increased with an increased tillage (at 60 Cm depth).
This study concluded that toxic heavy metals in the soil should be
taken into consideration as pollutants, as well as their biological
availability and potential toxicity to plants, and then its transfer to
ecosystems and the possibility of treating it in-situ.