Management of Productive Lands of Egypt

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Management of Productive Lands of Egypt

• By
• Dr. Ismail H. M. El-Bagouri
• Emeritus Professor Soil and Water Conservation
• Desert Research Center
• Presented to
• IGBP Regional Workshop MENA
• 20-21 November 2008
• Cairo, Egypt

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1. Main Attributes of lands in Egypt

• There are four distinct agro-ecological zones in
  Egypt with varied climate, geomorphology, soil
  and water properties, land use, status of plant
  cover in addition to management systems of the
  available resources.
• The four agro-ecological zones are as follows
• 1.1 Northern Coastal Areas
• 1.2 The Old Nile Valley and the adjacent
  reclaimed desert
• 1.3 Inland Sinai and the Eastern Desert
• 1.4 Western Desert

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Agro-ecological Zones in Egypt
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1.1 North Coastal Areas Zone I

• 1.1.1 Geomorphology
• These coastal areas rise from the shoreline at
  the sea level to elevated lands that vary from
  50-200 asl. in a short distance of about 20-50 km
  from the coast line. The succession of land forms
  start in most areas by the coast line area
  followed by ridges with intermediate flat
  depressions. These relatively low land forms lead
  rapidly to short transition lands of foot-hills
  and undulating areas of higher levels which in
  turn lead to elevated lands in Sinai or the North
  Western Coastal sub-zones.
• Over 200 dry valleys dissect the escarpment of
  the plateau and foot-hills in the southern parts
  of this zone. The largest of these dry valleys is
  Wadi Al-Arish in Sinai. In the North-western
  coastal areas more than two hundred dry valleys
  are well defined.

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1.1 North Coastal Areas Zone I (followed)

• 1.1.2 Climatic Features
• This zone is characterized by dry Mediterranean
  climate with relatively rainy, cool winter and
  hot dry summer. Averages of seasonal rainfall
  (Autumn and winter) over the Coastal Zone are the
  highest in Egypt. The highest average of about
  250 mm/y falls on the Northeastern part of Sinai
  (Fig. 2), while the average rainfall on the rest
  of the coastline areas ranges between 110-200
  mm/y.

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1.1 North Coastal Areas Zone I (followed)
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1.1 North Coastal Areas Zone I (followed)

• 1.1.3 Soil Resources and Land Use
• Desert saline sandy soils and salt marches occupy
  the areas adjacent to the shore-line. Inlands,
  coarse textured calcareous and non calcareous
  soils dominate with varied profile depth
  according to geomorphic factors, with deep soil
  profiles located in the deltas of valleys. Sand
  dunes and sand sheets cover scattered areas of
  varied extension.
• Rangelands are the dominant land use in this
  zone with an area of over 6.0 million feddans
  mostly in the Northwest coast (3.75 million
  feddans).
• Meanwhile, rainfall, and stored rainwater are
  combined with appropriate topographic attributes
  to cultivate winter cereals especially barley and
  wheat in addition to suitable vegetable crops
  including tomatoes, cucumber and melons. Total
  cultivated areas are estimated at 350,000
  feddans. Fruit tress including mainly olives,
  figs, palm trees and fodder shrubs.
• Recently two major canals of waters of varied
  qualities have been introduced to this zone,
  providing seasonal and perennial irrigation
  practices in two major locations.

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1.1 North Coastal Areas Zone I (followed)

• 1.1.4 Soil Management Practices
• At present rangelands invariably, show varied
  degrees of overgrazing, losses of plant cover,
  especially palatable spp, and valuable genetic
  resources. Such conditions are attributed to
  mis-management of range areas including exceeding
  the appropriate limits of range carrying
  capacities in view of the enhanced marketing
  potentials and high demands. Runoff water and
  rainwater harvesting and storage techniques are
  practiced with varied degrees of success and
  efficiency. However, the present trends to
  enhance the cultivation of rangelands by cereal
  crops invariably lead to destruction of the
  natural plant cover, loss of biodiversity and
  expose large areas to enhanced soil erosion by
  wind and water. The adverse impacts of such
  trends are augmented by the failure to achieve
  even marginal yields, especially wheat, due to
  the marginal and seasonal natural variations of
  rainfall.

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1.1 North Coastal Areas Zone I (followed)

• 1.1.5 Way Forward to Sustainable Development
• Rehabilitation and development of rangelands
  through introduction of varieties and species
  adaptable to drought and heat stress, application
  of rotational grazing practices, production of
  supplemental feed, and adherence to proper
  carrying capacities.
• Development and conservation of cultivated areas
  through introduction of drought resistant
  varieties of cultivated crops, adoption of
  protective agriculture and use of halophytic
  plants.
• As two canals were introduced to the Coastal
  areas including El-Salam and El-Hammam Canals
  areas developed by both canals could be devoted
  to cultivation of appropriate cereals, vegetables
  and adequate areas for supplemental forage
  products. Such policy would curtail the
  encroachment of cultivation on rangelands.
• To establish databases and GIS systems for
  base-line data for the objectives of proper
  assessment, planning, monitoring and evaluation.
• Full stakeholders participation is a must

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1.2 Nile Valley and the Reclaimed Desert Fringes
Zone II

• This agro ecological zone contains the Nile
  Valley as the main contributor to food security,
  trading activities and national economy. It is
  also the most densely populated area in the Arab
  Region. Through the last four decades vast areas
  at the desert fringes of the Nile Valley and
  Delta were reclaimed using mostly Nile Water to
  add greater economic assets and relocate a
  significant portion of the population.
• 1.2.1 Geomorphology
• The Nile valley with its vast level areas
  extends through gentle slopes from Aswan in the
  South to the coastal lines of the Nile Delta over
  a distance of more than 940 km. The Nile Valley
  in Upper Egypt extends to the East and the West
  to elevated desert areas through varied river
  terraces of different elevations with most
  terraces covered with sand sheets and sand dunes.
  In addition, large depressions are located in
  some of desert fringes including Ryan, Fayoum and
  Natroun Valleys.

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1.2 Zone II (followed)

• 1.2.2 Climatic Features
• The Nile Valley extends under hyper-arid
  conditions of high temp. averages and very low
  rainfall. Variations in temp. through the length
  of the valley has significant impacts on
  biodiversity, cultivated varieties and
  diversifies cropping systems.
• 1.2.3 Soil Resources and Land Use
• The Old Nile Valley depicts extensive areas of
  highly fertile alluvial soils of deep profiles
  that were formed over thousands of years through
  the deposition of the fertile sediments carried
  by the Nile water. These areas were estimated at
  over 6.0 million feddans. Through the last
  century, through RD activities these areas
  projected record yields of many commodities
  including rice, wheat, cotton, hybrid maize and
  others including vegetables and fruits. Cropping
  intensity is the highest in the Arab Region which
  is practiced all year around.
• Nevertheless varied portions of this highly
  fertile Valley are suffering from degradation
  factors including soil salinity and sodicity,
  over use of agricultural inputs (chemical
  fertilizers and pesticides), soil and water
  polluting agents, as well as, urban encroachment.

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1.2 Zone II (followed)

• Through the last four decades over 2.8 million
  feddans were reclaimed mainly in the desert
  fringes of the Old Valley depending on Nile water
  saved by establishing the High Dam. Most of these
  reclaimed areas are connected to the Old Valley
  infrastructures. Additional desert soil
  reclamation projects are being developed in
  independent desert areas based on conveyed Nile
  water or based on the use of ground water
  resources.
• The reclaimed desert soils represent a varied
  range of arid soils. The main attributes are
  fragility of soil properties, low resilience and
  needs for appropriate and integrated soil
  reclamation techniques and proper management
  practices to secure sustainable development.

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1.2 Zone II (followed)

• 1.2.4. Soil Management Practices
• 1.2.4.1. The Old Nile Valley
• Soil management practices in the Old Nile Valley
  are based on indigenous and ancient traditions.
  Appropriate tillage techniques are practiced with
  careful land micro-leveling and careful
  preparation of seed bed. Animal drafting was
  common practice till few decades ago. Presently
  an increasing rate of mechanization is gradually
  replacing animal drafting.
• Unfortunately use of mechanization and irrigation
  pumps is presently conducive to on farm over use
  of irrigation water under surface irrigation.
  Such conditions invariably lead to soil salinity
  and sodicity especially under the conditions of
  imperfect drainage.
• The use of organic manure produced on the farm is
  a basic practice. However, in the last few
  decades, in view of increased demands for
  agricultural commodities led to overuse of
  chemical fertilizers and pesticides which became
  significant polluting agents of soil and water
  resources.

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1.2 Zone II (followed)

• To address mis-management practices in the Old
  Nile Valley the following activities were
  implemented
• To curtail the overuse of pesticide and
  agricultural chemicals, integrated pest
  Management practices gained widespread
  endorsement and sharply reduced the total tonnage
  of applied pesticides.
• The introduction of economic reforms and proper
  pricing of agricultural inputs and products led
  to the improved and rational use of chemical
  fertilizers, thus minimizing the pollution
  hazards.
• To improve drainage conditions, tile drainage was
  introduced into a total area of 5.1 million
  feddans with total expenditures of 2325 million
  L.E. The present five years development plan
  calls for the introduction of tile drainage in
  additional 1.3 million feddans.
• Women water associations were established at the
  village level to secure conservation of water use
  and maintaining the irrigation canals to minimize
  water losses. These gender associations were
  highly successful.

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1.2 Zone II (followed)

• 1.2.4.2. Basic management practices for reclaimed
  desert soils
• Appropriate cropping patterns and management
  practices are quite different in many ways from
  those of the Old Nile Valley.
• Appropriate tillage practices especially minimum
  tillage and proper specification of tractors and
  implements are basic requirements to suit the
  physical attributes of most desert soils.
• The use of integrated fertilizers of macro- and
  micro-nutrients is required for most crops. In
  addition, the use of appropriate soil amendment
  of natural and synthetic origins lead to
  enhancement of desert soil development and
  enhance the rate of economic gains. The use of
  farming systems of proper components which are in
  harmony with the soil attributes and developing
  productivity support the trends of soil
  sustainable development.
• Adoption of irrigation techniques that prevents
  the excessive use of energy, minimize the losses
  of water resources and enhance the water use
  efficiency are indispensable practices.

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1.2 Zone II (Continued)

• 1.2.4.2. Management of desert soils (cont.)
• There are many success stories in many large,
  medium and small farms in the reclaimed desert
  soils, however
• Mismanagement practices still prevail in some of
  the reclaimed desert areas. As an example, the
  insistence for gaining high returns in a short
  time, through growing crops and fruits of high
  nutrients and water requirements in soils of poor
  fertility and inferior soil-water properties,
  which lead to over use of organic fertilizers
  originating from the old alluvial areas hastly
  fermented which in turn lead to the infestation
  of the new lands with weeds, parasites and
  diseases that are not indigenous of the new
  lands.
• Processes of sand encroachment and mobile dunes
  are widespread in the desert areas. These
  conditions lead to active sand encroach on the
  fringes of the cultivated areas particularly in
  the western fringes. It is estimated that 1.8
  million feddans are affected by sand encroachment
  and active dunes, leading to significant losses
  of productivity.

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1.3 1.4 Zone III and IV

• Zone III covering Inland Sinai and Eastern
  Desert and Zone IV covering the Western Desert
  are depicted in Fig. (5).

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1.3 1.4 Zone III and IV

• Both zones III and IV represent vast areas with
  soil resources limited in locations, extensions
  and use.
• Soil resources and land use are limited in Zone
  III to rangelands occupying planes and
  depressions scattered through elevated areas.
  Agricultural practices are mainly in the deltas
  of the dry valleys located near the coastal areas
  with threats of flash floods every now and them.
  Agricultural land use is dependent on runoff
  water or on limited groundwater resources of
  varied salinity contents
• Soil management in this zone should be geared
  toward production of notraditional crops, use of
  halophytes and desert plants.

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1.3 1.4 Zone III and IV

• Soil resources in Zone IV presently in use are
  located in the closed environmental systems of
  the oasis scattered through the large span of
  this zone. Lately macro developmental projects
  were established in the southern areas of this
  zone based on the use of Nile water Tushka or the
  water of the huge aquifer called the Nubian
  Sandstone Aquifer of mostly fresh and high
  quality water.
• Soil management practices should be based on
  efficient irrigation practices, crops and fruits
  of low water requirements, post harvest
  processing to minimize the volume and weights of
  produced commodities as well as, adhere to the
  safe limits for extraction of groundwater
  resources.

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Thank you