The Characteristics of the Western Plateau Soil and the Environmental Potential Available for Investment the Soil in Agriculture

Abstract

Soil is an important natural resource for the human being, through which the food crops needed by the human being are cultivated and the variation of soils varies from region to region, soils in Najaf are represented by soils of the sedimentary plain region and soils of the western plateau. The study specialized in studying the characteristics of desert soils and the environmental potentials available for investment in agriculture. As natural and human environmental factors greatly affect the diversity of the characteristics of the soil of the study area, as it became clear that the soil of the study area is characterized by its coarse sandy texture, its high permeability, its low containment of organic materials and the lack of salts therein. As well as the chemical elements and compounds that are within the permissible limits for agriculture, so these soils are good for agricultural production but on the condition that the organic material and water are also provided, as wells in the study area are distinguished by the increase of chemical elements and compounds above the permissible limits, therefore the use of well water will greatly affect the height of salts in the soil and also affects crop growth. Then water desalination systems must be available with the use of modern irrigation techniques of drip or spray to reduce water losses.