Some Characteristics of Soils of the Experimental and Research Station at Deirab

Abstract

Analyses of profile samples from different locations at Deirab reveal that, on the main, the soils are medium-to light-textured and highly calcareous. CaCO3 is found to highly dominate the coarse fraction in the sandy samples, but becomes a significant component of the finer fraction in relatively heavy textured samples. Moisture characteristics of the soils, revealing patterns of their moisture depletion, indicate that in Deirab, crops may incur temporary wilting failing frequent irrigation. Deirab soils are low in CEC. This property is found to correlate significantly (r = 0.71) with the soil clay content. By employing the regression equation, a pure clay separate is calculated to have a CEC of about 30 meq/100g. This value is intermediate between the CEC of chlorite group of minerals and that of attapulgite found by x-ray distraction to be the dominant clay minerals in Deirab soils.