Is Bomet good for growing Sorghum?

Bomet County scores 40/100 for Sorghum suitability (poor). Soil pH is 6.02 against a preferred 5–8, nitrogen 1.38 g/kg and phosphorus 23.6 mg/kg. County rainfall is 1500 mm/year against Sorghum's 250–700 mm range. Soil amendments or irrigation may be needed before planting Sorghum.

What fertilizer is best for Sorghum in Bomet?

Base the plan on Bomet's soil: pH 6.02, nitrogen 1.38 g/kg and phosphorus 23.6 mg/kg. Get an exact bag-per-acre basal and top-dressing schedule free at https://shambaiq.com/app.

What soil pH does Sorghum need, and does Bomet have it?

Sorghum grows best at pH 5–8. Bomet averages pH 6.02, which is within that range.

How much can I earn from Sorghum per acre in Bomet?

At roughly KES 68/kg and an expected 1,200 kg/acre, gross revenue is about KES 81,600 per acre before input costs. Use the ShambaIQ budget tool for a net figure based on your fertilizer plan.

Growing Sorghum in Bomet

Soil suitability analysis based on Bomet's nutrient profile

Quick answer

Possible but challenging — Bomet is only marginally suited to Sorghum. Bomet's soil (pH 6.02, slightly acidic) gives Sorghum a suitability score of 40/100. Match fertilizer to Bomet's nitrogen and phosphorus levels for the best result.

Bomet County is a challenging environment for Sorghum (soil-match score 40/100) and will need significant amendment before planting. Local soils average pH 6.02 — slightly acidic to near-neutral and inside the 5–8 band Sorghum prefers, so no lime is usually required. Nitrogen (1.38 g/kg), phosphorus (23.6 mg/kg) and potassium (237 mg/kg) all meet Sorghum's requirements, so a maintenance fertilizer programme is enough. The county's predominantly clay loam soils suit Sorghum, which favours clay. On ShambaIQ's soil-match model, Sorghum is the #90 soil match of the 106 crops we assess for Bomet County. Sorghum's full potential is about 1,200 kg/acre (~KES 81,600/acre at KES 68/kg), but at Bomet's 40/100 suitability a realistic target here is closer to 600 kg/acre (~KES 40,800/acre) unless the constraints above are addressed.

Better matched to Bomet's soil: Wambugu Apples, Kale (Sukuma Wiki), and Garden Peas — each scores higher on the same soil.

Suitability score

Soil & climate match

Factor	Bomet soil	Sorghum needs	Status
pH	6.02	5–8	OK
Nitrogen	1.38 g/kg	min 0.5 g/kg	OK
Phosphorus	23.6 mg/kg	min 6 mg/kg	OK
Potassium	237 mg/kg	min 100 mg/kg	OK
Rainfall	1,500 mm	250–700 mm	High
Altitude	1,900 m	0–1,800 m	High

Planting calendar for Bomet

Long Rains· April–JuneMain season here

April

Sowing & Basal Fertilizer

May

Top Dressing & 1st Weeding

June

Bird Control & Scouting

Short Rains· October–December

October

Sowing & Basal Fertilizer

November

Top Dressing & 1st Weeding

December

Bird Control

Dry Season· February–April

February

Harvesting & Drying

March

Land Resting

April

Seed Selection

Top dressing guide

Product

CAN

Timing

Week 4 and at flowering

Instruction

Apply at vegetative stage then repeat at early flowering for grain development.

Bags per acre in Bomet

0.5

Bomet's nitrogen (1.38 g/kg) already meets Sorghum's 0.5 g/kg requirement, so this is a maintenance rate.

Seed varieties for Bomet

Varieties suited to Bomet's 1,900 m altitude and 1,500 mm annual rainfall — 1 of 2 sorghum varieties we list.

SeredoMedium/Dryland

KALRO · 110-120 days · 15-18 bags/acre

Brown grain; excellent bird resistance.

Economics

Market priceKES 68/kg

Expected yield in Bomet600 kg/acre

Estimated revenueKES 40,800/acre

Adjusted for Bomet's 40/100 suitability. Under ideal conditions Sorghum can reach 1,200 kg/acre (~KES 81,600/acre) — attainable here only after the climate and soil constraints below are addressed.

Preferred textureClay

Fertilizer prices

DAP

KES 3,500(6,500)

CAN

KES 2,875(5,700)

NPK 17:17:17

KES 3,275(5,600)

Urea

KES 3,500(5,500)

Lime

KES 1,500(1,800)

Green = subsidized · (Commercial) per 50kg bag

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