Journal of Applied Sciences Research, 3(11): 1622-1629, 2007 © 2007, INSInet Publication Corresponding Author: R.R. Ali, Soils and Water Use Department, National Research Centre (NRC), Egypt. 1622 Assessment of Soil Capability for Agricultural Use in Some Areas West of the Nile Delta, Egypt: an Application Study Using Spatial Analyses R.R. Ali, G.W. Ageeb and M.A. Wahab Soils and Water Use Department, National Research Centre (NRC), Egypt. Abstract: The main objective of soil capability assessment for agriculture is to predict future conditions after development has taken place. It is necessary to forecast the benefits to farmers and the national economy and whether these will be sustained. The current study deals with spatial analyses techniques to evaluate the agricultural land capability in some areas west of the Nile Delta. The land surveying data, Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and satellite image were used in a Geographic Information System (GIS) 3 to delineate the landforms of the area. The attribute data of erodability, surface slope, CaCO content, texture class, soil depth, salinity, alkalinity and drainage condition were linked with the landform units of the area. The thematic layers of the attribute data were created in Arc-GIS 9.2 software using the spatial analyses function, and then these layers were matched together to produce the soil capability map. The results indicate that the soils of very high, high, marginal, low and very low capability classes for agriculture represent 7.26, 22.45, 43.62, 21.11 and 5.56 % of the studied area respectively. The low capability classes in the area are mainly due to the shallow soil depth, coarse texture, poor drainage and the salts accumulation. Therefore, action measures of land management are essential for sustaining the agricultural land uses in this area. Keywords: Soil capability, landforms, GIS, spatial analyses, west of Nile Delta. INTRODUCTION Most of the newly developed lands in the 1960s (420000 ha) were situated along the fringes of the Nile Delta. The West Delta region received the highest share of the land reclamation program 170000 ha . By [1] the year 1997 the total cultivated area in the West Delta fringes reaches to 445200 ha . The cost of [2] reclamation of such regions varies from LE 7,000 to LE 23,000 per hectare of crop area for canals, pumping stations, main roads, electricity transmission facilities, utilities and related buildings . The soil capability [3] mapping for this area is therefore, an essential action in order to maintain the sustainable development of effort and investment as well as the sustainable usage of the soils. The study area includes both old cultivation and newly reclaimed soils, extending between longitudes 30° 31 ´ 30 ½ and 30° 58 ´ 30 ½ east, and latitudes 30° 12 ´ 20 ½ and 30° 40 ´ 02 ½ north (Figure 1). This area includes different landforms i.e. river terraces, levees, flood plain and alluvial windborne deposits . The Pleistocene deposits (sand [4] and gravel) in this area are of assorted size bordering the cultivated areas; they form a series of various elevation terraces . [5] Land evaluation is a vital link in the chain leading to sustainable management of land resources. It is assigned the indispensable task of translating the data on land resources into terms and categories, which can be understood and used by all those concerned with land improvement and land use planning. The different types and procedures in land evaluation are gradually being developed. Interpreting soil qualities and site information for the agricultural use and management practices is integrated using geographical information system .The land quality is a complex attribute of [6,7] land which acts in a manner distinct from the actions of other land qualities in its influence on the suitability of land for a specified kind of use , it is the ability of [8] the land to fulfill specific requirements for the land utilization type . [9] The spatial analysis was used in this study, it can be defined as the analytical techniques associated with the study of locations of geographic phenomena together with their spatial dimensions and their associated attributes . Spatial analysis is useful for [10] evaluating suitability, for estimating and predicting, and for interpreting and understanding the location and distribution of geographic features and phenomena. The use of spatial analyses techniques in evaluating the land capability, allow producing multi-thematic maps and outlining the limiting factors, accordingly suitable suggestions could be attained to understanding how to deal with these soils for sustainable agricultural use.