Growing Passion Fruit in Bungoma

Soil suitability analysis based on Bungoma's nutrient profile

Quick answer

Yes — Bungoma is well suited to Passion Fruit. Bungoma's soil (pH 5.56, slightly acidic) gives Passion Fruit a suitability score of 76/100. Match fertilizer to Bungoma's nitrogen and phosphorus levels for the best result.

Bungoma County is well suited to Passion Fruit, scoring 76/100 on ShambaIQ's soil-match model. Local soils average pH 5.56 — slightly acidic to near-neutral and inside the 5.5–7.5 band Passion Fruit prefers, so no lime is usually required. The main gap is nitrogen and potassium — measured at N 1.12 g/kg, P 15.7 mg/kg, K 161 mg/kg against this crop's high/medium/high demand — so the fertilizer plan below prioritises closing those deficits. The county's predominantly clay loam soils suit Passion Fruit, which favours loam. At current prices (about KES 70/kg) and a typical 8,000 kg/acre yield, a well-managed Passion Fruit crop here can gross roughly KES 560,000 per acre.

76Suitability score

Soil & climate match

FactorBungoma soilPassion Fruit needsStatus
pH5.565.57.5OK
Nitrogen1.12 g/kgmin 1.2 g/kgLow
Phosphorus15.7 mg/kgmin 12 mg/kgOK
Potassium161 mg/kgmin 200 mg/kgLow
Rainfall1,400 mm900–1,800 mmOK
Altitude1,500 m1,200–2,500 mOK

Top dressing guide

Product
CAN
Timing
Start of rains biannual
Instruction
Apply in a ring around the drip line. Split into 2 applications per year.
Bags per Acre
0.5

Recommended seed varieties

Purple PassionMedium/Highland
KALRO · 365-548 days · 4.5–7.2 tons/acre
Purple fruited; high juice content; good local and export market.
Yellow PassionMedium/Highland
KALRO · 270-365 days · 5.4–8.1 tons/acre
Yellow fruited; more vigorous; tolerant to fusarium wilt.

Economics

Market priceKES 70/kg
Expected yield in Bungoma7,600 kg/acre
Estimated revenueKES 532,000/acre
Adjusted for Bungoma's 76/100 suitability. Under ideal conditions Passion Fruit can reach 8,000 kg/acre (~KES 560,000/acre) — attainable here only after the climate and soil constraints below are addressed.

Preferred textureLoam

Fertilizer prices

DAP
KES 3,500(6,500)
CAN
KES 2,875(4,500)
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