EFFECT OF SOIL GENESIS ON FERTILITY STATUS OF SOME WADIS IN SOUTH SINAI | ||||
| Journal of Soil Sciences and Agricultural Engineering | ||||
| Article 5, Volume 31, Issue 6, June 2006, Page 4017-4029 PDF (4.07 MB) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/jssae.2006.204047 | ||||
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| Authors | ||||
| ,I.A. EI-Gammal; A.A. Mohamed; H.M.A. EI-Tapey | ||||
| Soils, Water and Environ. Res. Ins., Agric. Res. Center, Giza | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| This study aims to find the effect of both geogenesis and pedogenesis on soil fertility status in south Sinai wadis (Sidri and Feiran). Nine soil profiles in different physiographic units characterizing the study area were selected to represent their associated parent rocks, which in turn related to different parent rocks (basement complex, sedimentary and mixed "sedimentary with igneous and metamorphic". The obtained data reveal that the total content of soil nutrients P, K, Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu were markedly influenced by the type of parent rocks from which soils were derived. The highest values are associated with the soils of igneous and metamorphic parent rocks (wadi feiran and its delta) followed by the soils of mixed parent rocks (marine sediments). The lowest values were found in the soils of sedimentary parent rocks (wadi Sidri and its delta, piedmonts plain and bajada). The values of available soil nutrients were affected by pedogenic processes and sedimentation regime. The soils in wadis of either igneous and metamorphic or sedimentary parent rocks include higher contents of available P, K, Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu than the soils in other units. This are related to the geomorphic process. The vertical distribution of available P, K, and Mn in vegetated soils (wadis) show a relative higher levels in soil surface (ecosystem). According to Soltanpour evaluation, the nutrient rating are high to medium for P, K, Mn, Zn and Cu in the soils of wadis (Feiran and Sidri). Fe and Mn are adequate in all physiographic units while, K is medium in bajada. For each nutrient, the rest of physiographic units are suffering from the nutrient deficiency, which be needed as fertilizers for such soils. The mineralogical examination of light and heavy minerals reveal that the nutrient bearing minerals assemblage are achieved in feldspars as the main source for K and Ca. A relatively high content of these minerals were found in the soils of wadis and coastal braided delta (either derived from igneous and metamorphic or sedimentary parent rocks), reflected their soil potentiality for these nutrients. As for heavy minerals, the studied soils were characterized by abundance of opaques (as a source of Fe). Pyroxenes and amphiboles (Ca, Mg and Fe), epidotes (Ca and Fe), biotite (K, Mg and Fe) and Apatite and monazite (P), comprise a relatively high portion of the non opaque minerals, especially for the soil derived from the igneous and metamorphic parent rocks. Thus these soils are potentially rich in these elements, comparing with the other· soils. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| soil genesis; fertility status; south Sinai | ||||
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