Developing an Interactive Three Dimensional (3D) Digital Soil Map for Some Part of Ondo State, Tropical Soil, Nigeria

Reliable soil information is fundamental to sustainable land management, agricultural productivity, and environmental planning. Digital Soil Map (DSM) enable better understanding of soil variability especially in tropical regions where soil properties vary considerably across space and depth. This study aimed to develop an interactive three-dimensional (3D) DSM for Ondo North tropical soil, Southwestern Nigeria using soil pedological/morphological characteristics, physico-chemical properties, macro- and micro-nutrients properties of the study area. Soil pedon (profile pit; 1.0×1.5×2.0m) were dug, and 0-5, 5-15, 15-30, 30-60, 60-100, and 100-200 cm depthwise samples were taken. Field observations were collected by inspection for color, texture, structure, drainage slope, land use/crops, mottle, consistence, inclusion using field data form. Physico-chemical properties, macro- and micro-nutrients contents of soil samples were obtained using standard procedure. Soil organic carbon (SOC) and organic matter (SOM) were typically found highest in surface layers (0-5 cm) and ranged respectively from 0.03 to 4.28 % and 0.10 to 5.98 % across the study sites. Soil pH values were slightly acidic to neutral conditions, ranging from 5.01 to 6.97 with sub soil more acidic than the surface soil layers. Electrical conductivity (EC) values varied significantly from 3.00 to 657.00 μS/cm, with peak values mostly in surface layers (103 to 657.00 μS/cm). The redox potential (mV) ranged from 21.00 mV (more reduced conditions) to 186.00 mV (more oxidized conditions) for surface soil and 36.00 to 186.00 mV for subsoil layer. Organic nitrogen (ON) values vary from 0.01 to 3.74%, highest in surface layers (0.04 to 3.74%) and lower in the subsoil (0.01 to 0.89%). Phosphorus (P) content varied widely, from 0.01 to 0.59 mg/kg, with the highest concentrations in surface layers (0.01 to 0.45 mg/kg) and lowest concentrations in subsoil (0.03 to 0.59mg/kg). Most sites exhibited decreasing organic matter, nitrogen, and phosphorus with depth, exchangeable bases were dominated by calcium followed by magnesium, potassium and sodium which is low indicating the absence of sodicity risk. Moderate Iron and Manganese concentration respectively indicate advanced tropical weathering, Copper and Zinc exhibited surface enrichment linked to surface enrichment linked to organic matter while Chromium were generally low reflecting lithogenic origin and minimal contamination. The morphological analysis indicated that the Akoko South East and some part in Akoko North West of the study area consists of well-drained soils with textures ranging from loamy sand to clay and moderate prismatic structures. In contrast, other areas feature moderately drained soils with textures varying from loamy to clay, this brings a better view without pervasiveness for sustainable agricultural productivity in the study area.

pedological/morphological characteristics, physicochemical properties, macro and micro nutrients, DSM, SOC

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