EVALUATION OF GROUNDWATER QUALITY AND ITS SUITABILITY FOR AGRICULTURAL USE IN SOHAG AREA, EGYPT

Document Type : Research and Review Papers

Authors

1 Soil & Water Dept. Faculty of Agriculture, Sohag University

2 Agricultural Research Institute, Sohag, Egypt

Abstract

The present study is aiming to evaluate the suitability of the groundwater for the irrigation purposes and its impacts on the soil in Sohag area. This is made through the analyses of twenty groundwater samples extracted from the Quaternary aquifer as the main aquifer in the flood plain of the Nile valley in Sohag. The aquifer is made of sands, gravel and silts of the Plio-Pleistocene deposits. The evaluation of the chemical characteristics of the groundwater in the study area includes the major cations and anions, SAR, RSC, pH and the total dissolved salts. The analyses of theses parameters indicated that groundwater in the study area in general is suitable for irrigation and livestock and extraction of groundwater for agricultural purposes should be encouraged to reduce the groundwater level as this will improve the land productivity in the Nile Valley.

Keywords