Land Resources Evaluation for Sustainable Agriculture in El-Qusiya Area, Assiut, Egypt

Increasing the cultivated areas in Egypt is necessary to achieving over-growing population sufficiency. However, accurate land evaluation is great concern to achieve sustainable agricultural production. The current study aimed to evaluating land capability and suitability in El-Qusiya City, Assiut Governorate, Egypt using Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techniques. The soils of the study area belonged two land capability classes according to Storie index; fair (Grade 3) that occupied an area about 53.97‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬km2 (56.95%) of the total study area, and poor (Grade 4) that occupied an area about 40.79‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬km2 (43.046%) of the total study area with slope and other soil limitation factors, and two suitability class according to Sys and Verheye system; classes marginal suitable (S3) that occupied an area about 65.85‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬km2 (68.93%) of the total study area with severe limitations and presently not suitable (N1) that occupied an area about 28.91‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬km2 (30.26%) of the total study area with very severe limitations that can be corrected. The Cervatana model showed that land capability classes of the study area are good (S2) ) that occupied an area about 62.8 ‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬km2 of the total study area, moderate (S3) that occupied an area about 3.05 ‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬km2 of the total study area and marginal (N) that occupied an area about 28.91 ‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬km2 of the total study area with limiting factors of soil (i), erosion risks (r) and bioclimatic deficit (b). The Almagra model for land suitability appraisal of different crops (Wheat, Maize, Watermelon, Potato, Soybean, Cotton, Sunflower, Sugar beet, Alfalfa, Peach, Citrus, and Olive) evaluation illustrated that the area belonged to suitability classes of high suitable (S2), moderate suitable (S3), marginally suitable (S4) and not suitable (S5). with limitation factors of texture (t), drainage (d), carbonate (c), salinity (s), sodium saturation (a) and profile development (g). The most obvious limiting factors for the selected crops were salinity and sodium saturation.