Some Wrong Agricultural Practices Followed by Field Crops Farmers Causing Land Deterioration in Some Villages in El- Beheira Governorate

This research aims to identify respondents' practices causing land deterioration level, determine the differences. Between Meniat Atteia, Bahary El-Fransawia, and Abohwach villages concerning farmers' practices causing land deterioration, determine the relationship between degree of respondents' practices causing land deterioration as dependent variable and each of the studied independent variables, determine the contribution of these independent variables in interpreting variation in the dependent variable, the research is also included exploring land conservation restricts from respondents point of view.                                     
The research was conducted in Meniat Atteia village Damanhur district, Bahary El-Fransawia village Mahmoudia district and Abohwach village, Abohommos district within El-Beheira governorate. The sample size is 200 respondents representing 5% selected randomly of farmers population in the three villages according to Kreijeci & Morgan equation, 66 respondents of Meniat Atteia village, 63 respondents of Bahary El Fransawia village, and 71 respondents of Abohawash village. Data were collected using pretested personal interview questionnaire during November / December 2007. To present and analyze data statistecaly means, standard deviation, frequencies, percentages, A.N.O.V.A., L.S.D., test Simple Correlation and multiple regression analysis (stepwise) were utilized.
The main results of this research are:                                                                
20.5%&67% of the respondents' their practices level concerning land deterioration are high and moderate so their practices are wrong and semi wrong respectively , 86%, 87%, 66.5% of the respondents used to misuse azote fertilizer, phosphate fertilizer and pesticides respectively on cotton crop.                                     79%, 62% of the respondents used to misuse phosphate fertilizer and azote Fertilizer respectively on Rice crop.                                                    
68.5% of the respondents used to misuse phosphate fertilizer on wheat crop.                                                                                                                        
 
 
93% of the respondents used to clean spray tools in water canals, and 38% of the respondents used to irrigate lands with drainage water.                  
56.5% , 54.5% & 43.5% of the respondents used to use  cotton, rice and maize straw in food cooking process respectively, and 19.5% , 16.5% , & 12.5% of the respondents used to burn it in field respectively rather than turning it to compost.                                                                                            
76%, 59%& 32.5% of the respondents used to grow clover, rice and wheat crops respectively in the same space two consecutive seasons.                       
According to A.N.O.V.A. analysis there are significant differences at 0.01 levels. Between the 3 studied villages Meniat Attia  Bahary EL-Fransawia and Abohwach in respondents Practices degree causing land deterioration, from L.S.D.test means  respondents practices degree causing land deterioration in Abohwach and Meniat Attia are more than it in  Bahary EL-François.                                                                                                         
There are significant negative relationship between the degree of respondents Practices causing land deterioration as dependent variable and both of the following independent variables: land location from irrigation canal, and degree of education at 0.01 &0.05 respectively, There is  significant positive relationship between the degree of respondents practices causing land deterioration as dependent variable and degree of emeritus of agricultural work. Land location from irrigation canal and degree of emeritus of agricultural work interpret 8% of the total variance in the dependent variable. The most important restricts facing respondents and prevent land conservation are: lacking of irrigation water, getting red of house waste compost in canals and ditches, problems in under soil drainage system ,getting red of sewage in irrigation canals ,there is no profit of irrigation improvement project which had executed in  Abohwash village where it did not pring valid water, and lack of agricultural gypsum.                                                                                            
Some recommendations were suggested to stop land deterioration in the studied villages