Comparison of soil salinity and solute transport for different cultivated soil types in northeastern Egypt

Summary, in English

The soil salinity distribution and solute transport properties of three different soil types were investigated and compared within a project area in northeastern Egypt. For this purpose, dye tracer experiments and salinity sampling were carried out. The resulting salinity maps showed that the soil salinity in the cultivated western site of the project area is 8-10 times higher than that in the cultivated eastern site. However, the cultivated soil displayed significantly lower salinity with higher uniformity as compared to the uncultivated soil. The preferential flow phenomenon was less apparent in the cultivated soil. This is mainly due to tillage which disrupts the structure of the soil so that deep cracks are no longer connected to the soil surface. This reduces the risk for groundwater contamination through preferential flow. The study showed that careful and continuous monitoring of the salinity status is needed now and in the future.

• Author: Yasser Hamed; Ronny Berndtsson; Magnus Persson
• Department/s: Division of Water Resources Engineering
• Publishing year: 2008
• Language: English
• Pages: 466-478
• Publication/Series: Hydrological Sciences Journal
• Volume: 53
• Issue: 2
• Links: http://dx.doi.org/10.1623/hysj.53.2.466
• Document type: Journal article
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• Topic: Water Engineering
• Keywords: Egypt; El-Salam Canal; irrigation; salinity; solute transport; soil
• Status: Published
• ISBN/ISSN/Other: ISSN: 0262-6667