Certified seed varieties for Kenya — matched to your altitude zone and soil

ShambaIQ shows KEPHIS-certified and KALRO-approved seed varieties after every fertilizer plan — filtered to varieties that suit your altitude zone, soil conditions, and target market. Below are the varieties in the database for the most common crops.

For a personalised variety recommendation filtered to your exact county and farm, run the free ShambaIQ tool and check the seeds section in your results.

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Highland (>1,800m)Medium Altitude (900–1,800m)Dryland (<900m)

Maize certified seed varieties5 varieties

H614

Highland

Breeder: Kenya Seed Company

Maturity: 180-240 days

Yield: 35-40 bags/acre

Excellent grain quality; tolerant to common blights.

H6218

Highland

Breeder: Kenya Seed Company

Maturity: 170-210 days

Yield: 38-42 bags/acre

High yielding; strong stalk preventing lodging.

H513

Medium Altitude

Breeder: Kenya Seed Company

Maturity: 120-150 days

Yield: 25-30 bags/acre

Fast maturing; good performance in transitional climates.

Katumani Composite B

Dryland

Breeder: KALRO

Maturity: 90-120 days

Yield: 15-18 bags/acre

Highly drought-tolerant; ensures harvest in low rainfall.

DH04

Dryland

Breeder: KALRO

Maturity: 90-110 days

Yield: 18-22 bags/acre

Extremely fast maturing; escapes late-season heat stress.

Beans certified seed varieties3 varieties

KAT B1

Dryland

Breeder: KALRO

Maturity: 60-65 days

Yield: 8-10 bags/acre

Yellow bean; highly tolerant to drought and heat.

KAT X56

Dryland

Breeder: KALRO

Maturity: 65-70 days

Yield: 10-12 bags/acre

Red mottled; resistant to bean common mosaic virus.

Chelalang

Medium

Breeder: KALRO

Maturity: 75-80 days

Yield: 12-15 bags/acre

High yield; resistant to root rot and angular leaf spot.

Potato certified seed varieties2 varieties

Shangi

Medium

Breeder: KALRO

Maturity: 80-90 days

Yield: 300-350 bags/acre

Very fast cooking; high tuber density per plant.

Unica

Dryland

Breeder: KALRO

Maturity: 90-100 days

Yield: 350-400 bags/acre

Heat tolerant; highly resistant to late blight.

Wheat certified seed varieties2 varieties

KS Mwamba

Highland

Breeder: Kenya Seed Company

Maturity: 130-150 days

Yield: 30-35 bags/acre

Stem rust resistant; strong lodging resistance.

Robin

Highland

Breeder: KALRO

Maturity: 120-140 days

Yield: 28-32 bags/acre

Consistent performance across environments.

Tomato certified seed varieties2 varieties

Rambo F1

Medium

Breeder: Royal Seeds

Maturity: 75-80 days

Yield: 150-180 bags/acre

Determinate hybrid; excellent disease tolerance.

Money Maker

Medium

Breeder: Simlaw Seeds

Maturity: 80-90 days

Yield: 100-120 bags/acre

Reliable open-pollinated variety.

Kale (Sukuma Wiki) certified seed varieties2 varieties

Thousand Headed

Medium

Breeder: Simlaw Seeds

Maturity: 60-70 days

Yield: 100-120 bags/acre

Continuous harvesting up to 9 months.

Collard Mfalme F1

Medium

Breeder: Royal Seeds

Maturity: 45-60 days

Yield: 140-160 bags/acre

High yielding hybrid; soft large leaves.

Sorghum certified seed varieties2 varieties

Gadam

Dryland

Breeder: KALRO

Maturity: 100-110 days

Yield: 12-15 bags/acre

Ideal for commercial brewing; highly drought resilient.

Seredo

Medium

Breeder: KALRO

Maturity: 110-120 days

Yield: 15-18 bags/acre

Brown grain; excellent bird resistance.

Avocado certified seed varieties2 varieties

Hass

Medium

Breeder: KALRO/HCDA

Maturity: 1000-1200 days

Yield: 50-70 bags/acre

High export demand; rich oil content.

Fuerte

Medium

Breeder: KALRO/HCDA

Maturity: 1000-1200 days

Yield: 60-80 bags/acre

Pear-shaped; great local market demand.

More crops with seed variety data

ShambaIQ also shows certified varieties for these crops after your fertilizer plan:

How ShambaIQ matches seed varieties to your farm

Altitude zone

ShambaIQ uses your county's elevation profile to filter varieties — highland varieties on lowland farms produce poor yields and vice versa.

Breeder

All varieties are from KALRO, Kenya Seed Company, Simlaw Seeds, Royal Seeds, or other KEPHIS-approved breeders. No unverified varieties are listed.

Maturity days

Matched to the typical growing season length for your location. Short-rains farmers in drier zones see faster-maturing varieties ranked higher.

Special attributes

Drought tolerance, disease resistance (e.g. late blight in potato, common mosaic virus in beans), export suitability (e.g. Hass avocado), or premium market attributes are flagged per variety.

Frequently asked questions

Are these varieties KEPHIS certified?

Yes. All varieties in the database are officially certified by KEPHIS or approved by KALRO. Only commercially released varieties with documented performance data are included.

What altitude zone do I need?

Highland (above 1,800m) — Nakuru, Nyeri, Nyandarua. Medium altitude (900–1,800m) — most of Central, Western, Rift Valley. Dryland (below 900m, under 700mm rain) — Machakos, Kitui, Kajiado. ShambaIQ auto-detects your zone from your county.

Can I buy these seeds from agrovets?

Yes. After your fertilizer plan, ShambaIQ shows verified agrovets within 50km of your farm. You can also buy from Kenya Seed Company branches and KALRO field stations directly.

What is the difference between hybrid and open-pollinated?

Hybrids (e.g. H614, H6218) yield 20–40% more but seeds cannot be saved for replanting. Open-pollinated varieties (e.g. Katumani Composite B) can be saved. Both types are listed.