This study was an attempt to identify the changes in soil physicochemical properties and nutrients status as associated with agro-management
practices in some newly reclaimed areas due to their utilization for
agriculture under different land use periods and farming systems.
So, three areas that have different soil origins, i.e., fluvio-lacustrine deposits
at Sahl El Hussania, aeolian deposits at El Salhia area and marine-lacustrine
deposits at Maryut area were selected, and in turn the soils developed on such
origins should be differing in the pedo-chemical or physico-chemical
characteristics. Furthermore, three soil profiles having an almost similar
textural class and differed in land use periods (3-20 years) were selected to
represent each one of the studied areas.
The obtained results reveal that the soils of the selected three areas
differ in their characteristics, particularly soil texture that categorized in fine
(clay), coarse (loamy sand) and medium (sandy clay loam) grades for Sahl El
Hussania, El Salhia and Maryut areas. Consequently, the response of soil
properties; i.e., morphological features, bulk density, total porosity, hydraulic
conductivity, available water range, pH, ECe, soluble ions, CEC, ESP,
CaCO3 and organic matter contents as well as nutrients status and parametric
evaluation index soil productivity limitations; to the actual changes as a result
of the applied agro-management practices was more related to many factors,
i.e., physiographic position, origin of soil materials (inherited soil features),
period of agricultural utilization, characteristics of the grown plants,
irrigation water quality, method of irrigation system, efficiency of soil
drainage or field drainage system.
Also, it is noteworthy to mention that the positive effects due to the
applied agro-management practices were differed from an area to another
according to the soil nature and environmental conditions, i.e., efficient open
drainage system, gypsum application, leaching process and bio-organic
fertilization at Sahl El Hussania; application of clayey shales and farmyard
manure at El Salhia; accumulation of Ca-humus due to organic fertilization
that alleviating the restrictive effect of CaCO3 and efficient tile drainage
system at Maryut. Such applied agro-management practices during the longterm land use for agricultural utilization reflected favourable signs on soil
properties amelioration, i.e., creating the conductive pores which enhancing
the removal of excess soluble salts, modifying the deteriorated soil structure
due to either sodicity in the fine texture (Sahl El Hussania area) or the
skeletal nature of soil (El Salhia area), creating the suitable air-moisture
regime which helped for releasing, mobility and biological activity of
essential nutrients uptake mechanism. Such favourable conditions were
positively reflected on the vegetative growth of the grown plants as well as
their final products.