Impact of agricultural practices on soil productivity and sustainability of ABIS experimental research station (AbisERS)‎, Egypt

Abstract EN

The Faculty of Agriculture, Alexandria University, owns an experimental research station located in Abis area (AbisERS), Southern East Alexandria City, with a total area of 209.6 ha.

Over the years, numerous research studies were conducted on AbisERS.

However, lack of a comprehensive historical database to document land and crop management practices and the related soil productivity is apparent.

The present study aims to develop a geo-info-base assessing soil quality/productivity and sustainability based on the soil management practices.

Surface soil samples were collected from 153 geo-referenced locations and analyzed to obtain major soil quality/productivity indicators.

QuickBird satellite image and geographic information system (GIS) were utilized to build a digital geo-referenced database to develop soil quality indicator maps.

Moreover, stepwise multiple regression analysis was applied to identify factors affecting the soil productivity.

Other data was extracted from previous work of Darwish (1977) and Al-Attar (1980) and the available farm records.

Results showed high variations in all measured soil indicators within the AbisERS.

The salinity/sodicity indicator map showed that 19 % of the area was non-saline/non-sodic, 55 % moderate-saline/non-sodic, and 26 % was saline-sodic soils.

As an average, the soil salinity increased from 2.3 ± 0.9 in 1977 to 4.6 ± 5.4 dS/m in 2007, reflecting low efficient management practices that control soil salinization.

The SAR also increased from 4.6 ± 1.8 in 1977 to 6.0 ± 5.2 in 2007.

The low efficiency of the drainage system resulted in fluctuating water table and increase soil salinity/sodicity risks.

The study also revealed unbalanced use of nutrients.

P was infrequently and insufficiently applied during the last 20 years.

Therefore, soil available P was lowered to the deficiency level in 63.6 % of the area and was correlated with wheat yield.

Soil Organic matter content (OM) averaged 2.6% ± 0.2% in 1977 that reduced to 1.9 ± 0.6% in 2007.

Based on the available soil and crop data, it was evident that soil productivity is low.

Wheat and rice yields did not exceed 4.3 and 4.5 Mg/ha, respectively.

These yields were generally lower than the average- national yields of both crops.

The gap between the actual and the attainable yields of wheat and rice might be as wide as 3.0 and 4.5 Mg/ha, respectively.

Multiple regression analysis for soil properties and yield indicated that soil salinity (EC), P, and OM were among the most soil properties limiting crop yield.

Soil deterioration and nutrient depletion observed in this study could be explained mostly by agriculture management practices followed on AbisERS