SOIL MOISTURE CHARACTERJSTICS OF SOME SOILS IN KALIOBIA GOVERNORATE

Abstract

To study the moisture characteristics of some soills in Kaliobia governorate, twenty soil profiles were selected from governorate soils to represent the different geomorphological units, ,namely, natural levee, sedimentary basin, river terrace, overlapping and saline soils. The field morphological description as well as chemical and physical measurements were carried out using undisturbed and disturbed soil samples. The soil chemical analysis show that the soils under investigation are generally neutral to slightly alkaline. The soils arc generally non saline with one exceptional cases which represent some patches of saline soils. The data of soluble salts show that calcium and sodium are the

dominant soluble cations while the sulphates and chlorides are the dominant soluble anions. The cation exchange capacity of the investigated soils are widely different and nwinly rel<Jted to soil texture. The data show that each landfonn type is characterized by a special type of sedimentation and thcrci()re the particle size distribution diflcrs quite considerably. The organic matter content of the investigated soils is generally low with one exception< ! case of EI-G<tb<JI EI-Asfar soils which exhibit relatively high content of organic matter. Also the soils under consideration exhibit low content of carbonates with a maximum value of 6.0 %.

The ag ,>Tegate states of the investigated soils are proportionally related to exchangeable calcium and ma6'1Jesium, clay, and silt fTactions and inversely related to fine and coarse sand tractions. Regression equation is: A.S.=- 16.7431-0.6156 ESP+ 1.3055 clay, with multiple R= 0.92.