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Abstract INTRODUCTION Perhaps no c<:mntry has its economical furure and social structure as dependent on agrarian expansion as Egyptian Region where agriculture constitutes the foundation on which is based most of the economic activity in other ftelds such as industry and nadc. Tracing the degree of economic equilibrium in Egypt, one can find that the population has increased from 25 millions in 1960 to 55 millions in 1990 and is expected to reach 70 millions in 2000. Besides, most of this population concentrates in the Nile Valley and Delta that fonns only 3% ofthe country’s tor• I ar·ea. Moreover, the food self-sufficiency level has fallen from about 95% in 1960 to about25% at present, as a result ofthe rapid population increases as well as the DROP of the rate of growth of agricultural output from 4% to 2% per annum. The agricultural development can be achieved by the so called horizontal and vertical extension projects. The horizontal extension projects aim at increasing the culthtated area by reclamation of de-sert or saline mar:shy lands. This solution is rather expensive, and the cultivated lllnd takes long time to reach its maximum productivit;. limit. The vertical extension projects aim at raising the productivity of existing cultivated area to its full. This solution gives quick results especially in Egypt because productivity of agricultuml lands is still constrained due to inadequate drainage in over two million fedans. Fully aware of the agricultural development problem in Egypt, perfection of the drainage system, drainage will raise the agricuillll’lJI production in a much higher rntio than any relative horizontal extension in the cultivated area at present v~sualized. The results of drainage are removal of excess gravity water, increasing the amount of capillary water avejlable, increase in the volume of soil from which the roots c;f INTRODUCTION Perhaps no c<:mntry has its economical furure and social structure as dependent on agrarian expansion as Egyptian Region where agriculture constitutes the foundation on which is based most of the economic activity in other ftelds such as industry and nadc. Tracing the degree of economic equilibrium in Egypt, one can find that the population has increased from 25 millions in 1960 to 55 millions in 1990 and is expected to reach 70 millions in 2000. Besides, most of this population concentrates in the Nile Valley and Delta that fonns only 3% ofthe country’s tor• I ar·ea. Moreover, the food self-sufficiency level has fallen from about 95% in 1960 to about25% at present, as a result ofthe rapid population increases as well as the DROP of the rate of growth of agricultural output from 4% to 2% per annum. The agricultural development can be achieved by the so called horizontal and vertical extension projects. The horizontal extension projects aim at increasing the culthtated area by reclamation of de-sert or saline mar:shy lands. This solution is rather expensive, and the cultivated lllnd takes long time to reach its maximum productivit;. limit. The vertical extension projects aim at raising the productivity of existing cultivated area to its full. This solution gives quick results especially in Egypt because productivity of agricultuml lands is still constrained due to inadequate drainage in over two million fedans. Fully aware of the agricultural development problem in Egypt, perfection of the drainage system, drainage will raise the agricuillll’lJI production in a much higher rntio than any relative horizontal extension in the cultivated area at present v~sualized. The results of drainage are removal of excess gravity water, increasing the amount of capillary water avejlable, increase in the volume of soil from which the roots c;f |