Comprehensive Assessment of Soil Chemical Properties for Land Reclamation Purposes in the Toshka Area, EGYPT

Abstract

Among soil parameters, Soil Chemical Properties (SCPs) are a crucial factor for the evaluation of chemical and fertility indices, proper decision-making regarding land reclamation, and land cultivation. In this work, 32 samples were collected from the surface (0–30 cm) and subsurface (30–60 cm) layers from 16 selected positions using GIS in the Toshka area (23°30′ and 23°60′ N latitude and 31°32′ and 31°36′ E longitude), Aswan, Egypt. Our results revealed that the soil reaction ranged from slightly (7.25) to moderately alkaline (8.19) and was characterized as a moderately saline and calcareous soil; however, the minimum ECe and CaCO3 values exceeded 4.30 dS·m−1 and 12.80%, respectively. Furthermore, there was a significant decrease in the soil organic matter (not exceeding 0.11%) and available nutrient contents. The cation exchange capacity was moderate. The correlation coefficient between the studied SCPs fluctuated between positive and negative. In brief, the area can be reclaimed through a proper reclaiming plan and the selection of the most suitable crops to treat the undesirable characteristics.