Is Garissa good for growing Beans?

Garissa County scores 17/100 for Beans suitability (poor). Soil pH is 7.96 against a preferred 6–7, nitrogen 0.61 g/kg and phosphorus 37.7 mg/kg. County rainfall is 250 mm/year against Beans's 500–1600 mm range. Soil amendments or irrigation may be needed before planting Beans.

What fertilizer is best for Beans in Garissa?

Base the plan on Garissa's soil: pH 7.96 (apply lime to reach 6–7), nitrogen 0.61 g/kg and phosphorus 37.7 mg/kg. Get an exact bag-per-acre basal and top-dressing schedule free at https://shambaiq.com/app.

What soil pH does Beans need, and does Garissa have it?

Beans grows best at pH 6–7. Garissa averages pH 7.96, which is outside the ideal range and may need lime or sulphur.

How much can I earn from Beans per acre in Garissa?

At roughly KES 130/kg and an expected 800 kg/acre, gross revenue is about KES 104,000 per acre before input costs. Use the ShambaIQ budget tool for a net figure based on your fertilizer plan.

Growing Beans in Garissa

Soil suitability analysis based on Garissa's nutrient profile

Quick answer

Generally not ideal — Garissa is poorly suited to Beans. Garissa's soil (pH 7.96, alkaline) gives Beans a suitability score of 17/100. Match fertilizer to Garissa's nitrogen and phosphorus levels for the best result.

Garissa County is a challenging environment for Beans (soil-match score 17/100) and will need significant amendment before planting. At an average pH of 7.96 the soil sits above Beans's preferred 6–7 range, which can limit uptake of phosphorus and micronutrients. Nitrogen (0.61 g/kg), phosphorus (37.7 mg/kg) and potassium (407 mg/kg) all meet Beans's requirements, so a maintenance fertilizer programme is enough. Beans prefers loam soils, while Garissa is largely sandy, so drainage and organic-matter management matter more here. Garissa receives approximately 250 mm/year — well below Beans's minimum of 500 mm — so supplemental irrigation would be essential for this crop. On ShambaIQ's soil-match model, Beans is the #18 soil match of the 106 crops we assess for Garissa County. Beans's full potential is about 800 kg/acre (~KES 104,000/acre at KES 130/kg), but at Garissa's 17/100 suitability a realistic target here is closer to 170 kg/acre (~KES 22,100/acre) unless the constraints above are addressed.

Better matched to Garissa's soil: Sisal, Aloe Vera, and Green Grams — each scores higher on the same soil.

Suitability score

Soil & climate match

Factor	Garissa soil	Beans needs	Status
pH	7.96	6–7	Adjust
Nitrogen	0.61 g/kg	min 0.5 g/kg	OK
Phosphorus	37.7 mg/kg	min 12 mg/kg	OK
Potassium	407 mg/kg	min 100 mg/kg	OK
Rainfall	250 mm	500–1,600 mm	Low
Altitude	200 m	0–2,500 m	OK

Planting calendar for Garissa

Long Rains· March–May

March

Sowing & Basal Fertilizer (DAP)

April

1st Weeding & Thinning

May

Flowering Stage & Pest Control

Short Rains· October–DecemberMain season here

October

Sowing & Basal Fertilizer

November

1st Weeding & Thinning

December

Flowering Stage

Dry Season· January–March

January

Post-Harvest Storage

February

Land Resting

March

Seed Selection

Top dressing guide

Product

None

Timing

None required

Instruction

Beans fix their own Nitrogen. Do NOT apply CAN — it will reduce yield.

Bags per acre in Garissa

Garissa's nitrogen reads 0.61 g/kg, but the rate stays at zero: Beans is not top-dressed, for the crop-specific reason above.

Seed varieties for Garissa

Varieties suited to Garissa's 200 m altitude and 250 mm annual rainfall — 4 of 7 beans varieties we list.

KAT B1Dryland/Medium

KALRO · 60-65 days · 8-10 bags/acre

Yellow bean; highly tolerant to drought and heat.

KAT X56Dryland

KALRO · 65-70 days · 10-12 bags/acre

Red mottled; resistant to bean common mosaic virus.

NyotaDryland/Medium

KALRO · 65-70 days · 10-13 bags/acre

Navy bean type; iron-rich; KEPHIS certified; popular in export markets.

KAT X69Dryland

KALRO · 60-65 days · 8-11 bags/acre

Small red bean; heat tolerant; suited to semi-arid lowland conditions.

Economics

Market priceKES 130/kg

Expected yield in Garissa170 kg/acre

Estimated revenueKES 22,100/acre

Adjusted for Garissa's 17/100 suitability. Under ideal conditions Beans can reach 800 kg/acre (~KES 104,000/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(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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