Delineation of field management zones based on soil properties in the Sudan and Sahel savannas of northern Nigeria

Soils in Doro, Bichi and Maigatari in northern Nigeria were studied with the goal of identifying the prevalent management zones to consider for efficient plant production and ecosystem improvement. The pH across the three locations was near neutral, while the soil organic carbon (OC) was rather low (0.47 % in Doro, 0.31 % in Bichi and 0.23 % in Maigatari). The variations in Doro were jointly influenced by clay, pH, TN, exchangeable acidity (H + ), and electrical conductivity (EC); those in Bichi by base saturation (BS), clay, silt, P, TN, and K, and those in Maigatari by BS, EC, magnesium (Mg), clay, calcium (Ca), OC, silt, sand, P, and TN. Our analysis produced three management zones (MZs) based on the marked variations in soil properties. The three sites showed considerable differences (p < 0.05) among MZs for most of the studied soil indicators. Doro (MZ1) had the highest Ca (7.47 cmol/kg), Mg (1.7 cmol/kg) and ECEC (9.88 cmol/kg), as well as clay (23.57 %), while pH, OC, TN, P, K, Na, H + , BS, silt and EC varied little among the MZs. Therefore, any management strategy for increasing the productivity of these soils should consider the delineated MZs. • Crop production in the Sudano-Sahelian area of West Africa is highly constrained. • Doro, Bichi and Maigatari soils were studied as the management zones (MZs). • The three MZs showed significant differences across the studied soil indicators. • The pH across the MZs was near neutral, while the organic carbon was low. • Doro had the highest (cmol/kg) Ca = 7.47, Mg = 1.7 and ECEC = 9.88 among the MZs.