Assessment and mapping of wind erodibility of aridisols and entisols in the Red Sea State, Sudan
2011
Eisa, M.A., Ministry of Agriculture, Red Sea State (Sudan). Animal Resources and Irrigation | Mustafa, M.A., Institute of Desertification and Desert Cultivation Studies
Wind erodibility of a soil (WE) is a major indicator of its susceptibility to wind erosion under a given climatic condition. This study is part of a national project for assessing and mapping wind erodibility of soils in Sudan. It was undertaken to generate WE data for the Red Sea State. Three replicate surface soil samples were collected, randomly, from twenty-eight geo-referenced farms spread in the State. Non-erodible soil particles (NEP 0.84mm) and selected soil properties were measured using standard procedures. The mean NEP values ranged from 17.0% to 57.2% with an overall mean coefficient of variation of replicate determinations equal to 4.7%. The equivalent WE ranged from 49.6 to 244.0 tonlha. The results showed a highly significant (P 0.00I) increase of NEP with increase of clay (C) and organic matter (OM), and decrease with increase of sand and sand plus silt (S+Si) expressed, successively, as ratios of clay, clay plus OM and clay plus CaCO3. The reverse trends were obtained for the relations of WE and the various soil properties and their ratios. Clay, (Si+S)/C, (Si+S)/(C+OM) and (Si+S)/(C+CaCO3) accounted for 80%, 81 %, 81 % and 82% of the variation of NEP, and 77%, 78%, 78%, and 79% of the variation of WE. Multiple regressions relationships of NEP or WE with clay, sand, CaCO3 and OM gave coefficients of determinations equal to 81 % and 80%, respectively. Thus, it was recommended that clay, (Si+S)/C, (C+OM), (C+CaCO3) or multiple regression equations may be used for predicting NEP. However, (Si+S)/(C+CaCO3) is recommended for predicting NEP, and in all cases the equivalent WE can be obtained from the standard table. A table for wind erodibility groups was developed for the State
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