25 FAO SOILS BULLETIN 2 =< ULTUE ORGANIZATION 0 NATIONS awFOREWORD This report contains the papers and proceedings of the FAO/UNDP Seminar on the Reclamation and Management of Sandy Soile in the Near Hast and Worth Africa, It was the fourth seminar in the series suggested by the Regional Commission on Land and Water Use in the Near East to be organized under the Near East Applied Research Programme on Land and Water Use. On this occasion, owing to the technical subject, FAQ invited other countries in North Africa along the Meditteranean coast with sandy soils to participate and share their knowledge and experience on ways to utilize them, e Although in many cases sandy soile are regarded as a menace and unproductive, yet from the proceedings of the seminar it became clear that their productivity could be considerably enhanced provided that the right s0il and water management practices are followed. I+ was algo realized that in irrigated as well as rainfed conditions there is a need to expedite research on reclamation and management of sandy soils with special reference to water utilization and fertilization, The present shortage of land resources and food supplies on a global scale means that soils previously regarded ag unproductive, such as sandy ones, and covering very large areas, will have to be brought into use. The implementation of the recommendations made at the seminar and contained in this publication will be a valuable basis to make sandy soils produce more successfully and to promote effective land use in areas previously considered as less suitable. R. Dudal Director Land and Water Development DivisionCONTENTS Page I. INTRODUCTION, SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 4 II. OPENING STATEMENTS 5 Te Mr. KR. ©. Michaelides, Director-General, Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Nicosia 5 26 Drs Ms He Abbas, on behalf of the Director General of FAO 6 3 Mr. V. Pavicic, Resident Representative of the UNDP in Cyprus 7 TIT. WORKING PAPERS 9 Olassification and distribution of sandy soils in the near East Region and their agricultural potentialities by La Te Kadry 9 2 Organic and inorganic fertilization of sandy soila by A. Monem Balba 23 3a Physical properties of sandy scoile in relation to cropping and soil conservation practices ky F. I, Massoud ay 4e Quality of water in relation to irrigating sandy soils by A. Arar Ta Se Reduction in conveyance losses in sandy soils by Ds Bs Kraatz 85 6. Irrigation of sandy soils by J, P, Baudelaire oF Te Drainage of sandy soils by FP. J. Dieleman 107 3. Use and management of sandy soils in Cyprus by G, C, Grivas 115 Se Regional applied research on sandy soils by Le T. Kadry and A. Arar 1aT