Two field experiments were carried out in clay soil at the experimental farm of Gemmeiza Agriculture Research Station (Middle Delta, Egypt). during the two successive winter seasons of March 2007 and March 2008, to investigate the possibility of spraying compost extract and humic substances as foliar appliocation for maximizing the soil compost addition. For that purpose, kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris, L.) was planted in two successive seasons. The compost was added to all treatments except the control (100% mineral nitrogen fertilizer). Both compost extract and humic substances were added each alone twice or alternatively. The results clearly showed a positive effect of compost extract and humic substances on all plant growth parameters. The superior treatment was when compost extract was sprayed alternatively with humic in present of 75% of mineral nitrogen fertilizer with 10 Ton/fed of compost as soil addition, the following treatment was spraying of compost extract alone with 75% of mineral nitrogen fertilizer plus (10 Ton/fed) of compost addition. Generally, results pointed that usage of compost extract and humic as foliar application maximized the utilization of soil compost addition.

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Soils degraded physically and nutritionally due to continuous use of chemical fertilizers under intensive agricultural. Management of N is the key for sustainable and profitable wheat production in a low N-soil availability. So a field experiment was conducted on a clay soil using wheat (Triticum aestivum) Giza 168 variety during 2008 / 2009 season at Agricultural Experimental Station of Fac. Agric, Mansoura Univ., to study the influence of combined use of mineral fertilizers (urea) and organic fertilizers in the form of farmyard manure (FYM), composted rice straw (CRS) and their combinations on wheat productivity, nutrients availability and monitoring soil organic matter (SOM) status in soil at certain times 45, 88 and 155 days from wheat planting. The randomize complete blocks design with three replications was used. The mineral fertilizer (urea) was applied at the rate of N1=60 and N2=120 kg urea fed-1 .The amounts of various organic fertilizers used were (10 and 20 m 3 fed-1), for both FYM and CRS. Organic fertilizers added either alone or in combinations with urea to the soil. Results indicated that the maximum increase in grain yield (54.66 and 56.55 % over untreated control) and straw yield (1660.50 and 1710.99 g.m 2) were recorded with N2FYM2 and N2CRS2 respectively. All combination of organic (FYM or CRS) and inorganic fertilizers gave the optimum availability of NH4 + , NO3-, P, K concentration in soil beside the enhancement of soil organic matter percentage (SOM) as compared to the other treatments.

The current work aims at employing the advanced techniques; GIS and computerized mathematical models for land evaluation, to assess the land capability and suitability of large areas. The area of El-Ismaillia Governorate was chosen as a study area. Sixteen soil profiles, that covered most of the soil types of the area, were selected and characterized. The characterization results were input to ALES-Arid land evaluation software. The outputs revealed that the land capability class C3 (Fair) included most of the soils of the study area where, it covered almost 72% of the total area under investigation. The soils belonged to land capability C4 (Poor) occupied about 21% of the entire area of the governorate. These soils had several limitations but severer than those of C3.The land suitability for the studied crops revealed that most of the soils belong to suitable S1 and moderately suitable S2 for wheat and barely. In the case of maize and rice, however the soils were found to be marginally, conditionally suitable and actually unsuitable. The soils of the region were mostly suitable for alfalfa. Most of the soils in the area were suitable to moderately suitable for sugar beet with few areas of marginally to conditionally suitable. The area belonged to marginally suitable class for sunflower. While the faba-bean showed mostly conditionally suitability in the area.

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