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Sudan Journal of Agricultural Research

Soil associations and soil properties of Gomatyawa Valley on the eastern side of the Red Sea Hills (Sudan)

F. Alaily^l, I. EL Hagwa² and O. KH. Eissa²


Abstract:

The investigated area is located in Northeast Sudan, north of Port-Sudan on the eastern side of the Red Sea Hills (Fig. 1). The climate of the area is arid to semi arid. The parent material of the soils consists mostly of Duvial sediments, debris of basement rocks and dunes of different ages, which are found in ephemeral valleys bordered by high mountains of granite and basalt. Six main types of soils have been identified in the field viz: Eutric Fluvisols on the youngest fluvial sediment, Haptic Arenosols on young dunes, Cambic Arenosols and Haptic Solonchaks on older Duvial sediments and older dunes, Eutric Leptosols on granite and basalt. Most soils are sandy, with low content of salt. Total salinity, gypsum and carbonate as well as the degree of the stone cover on top of the soils and the intensity of desert varnish seem to increase with soil age. The clay fraction consists mainly of semctite, some primary chlorite, traces of illite, kaolinite and quartz.


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Sudan Journal of Agricultural Research Vol. 2 (1999) PP. 29-35