Land reclamation projects in Egypt have been directed towards the Western Desert; however, such
expansion requires devoting land and water resources to the optimum use. Hence, the current work
aimed at assessing land suitability and water requirements for various crops in an area located
west of Dakhla Oasis. The geomorphic features were identified after the processing of Landsat 8.0
satellite image and Digital elevation model (DEM) verified by field and ground studies. Samples of
thirty-one soil profiles and eleven water wells were collected and analyzed. Land suitability was
assessed using MicroLEIS software with an Almagra model. The main geomorphic units are
plateau, pediplain, depression and sand sheets. About 97% of the soils are suitable (high,
moderate and marginal) for maize, sunflower, soya bean, wheat, sugar beet, cotton, watermelon,
alfalfa, potato, peach, citrus, and olive. Water requirements for each crop were calculated using
FAO–Cropwat model as 816.33, 795.98, 1003.83, 550.78, 865.13, 1150.83, 797.87, 2113.47,
397.37, 1577.86, 1503.92 and 1163.96 mm, respectively. The area has water resources with high
quality for irrigation, and thus it is considered promising for agricultural expansion |
