Evaluating the Suitability of some Desert Land in Western Iraq for Cultivation for Olives Crop

Abstract

Abstract The aim of the research, is to evaluate the suitability of some desert land in western Iraq for cultivation olive trees near water harvesting catchment. Semi details soil survey was conducted for (3492 donemes, eight pedons represented the soil great groups, (Alluvial desert soil, Typic calcids, Typic gypsed, Typic calcigypsids and Typic gypsicalcids of the land and valleys of Haqlan, Zaghdan, and Banat Al Hassan project, which is geographically defined between (line 41° 53′ 37- 42° 26′ 33 E) and (33° 53′ 44- 34° 12′ N). The Agro-Ecological characteristics which depend on (climatic, soil and topographic requirement) were determined and =evaluated by the methods. Correlation between parametric and limitation method. Followed by Sys et al 1993. Result showed, that the limited factors to cultivate lives, were soil depth gypsum and Soil texture, while climate was suitable class (S1) with degree (87.15 of climate index. Pedons (p1, p2, p3, p6, p8) were distributed under the suitability class (S3s) and the degree of suitability reached (31-49) and the limited factor for her was (depth and gypsum), while pedon (p4 and p5) distributed under the class (N1s) which is non-suitable actually and will be change t to class S3s potentially in the event of improvement or removal of the limitation.