Growing Chickpeas in Kajiado
Soil suitability analysis based on Kajiado's nutrient profile
Kajiado County is a solid choice for Chickpeas, with a soil-match score of 70/100. Local soils average pH 6.55 — neutral and inside the 5.5–8 band Chickpeas prefers, so no lime is usually required. Nitrogen (0.97 g/kg), phosphorus (20.6 mg/kg) and potassium (257 mg/kg) all meet Chickpeas's requirements, so a maintenance fertilizer programme is enough. The county's predominantly sandy loam soils suit Chickpeas, which favours sandy loam. At current prices (about KES 200/kg) and a typical 500 kg/acre yield, a well-managed Chickpeas crop here can gross roughly KES 100,000 per acre.
Suitability score
Soil match analysis
| Nutrient | Kajiado soil | Chickpeas needs | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| pH | 6.55 | 5.5–8 | OK |
| Nitrogen | 0.97 g/kg | min 0.5 g/kg | OK |
| Phosphorus | 20.6 mg/kg | min 6 mg/kg | OK |
| Potassium | 257 mg/kg | min 100 mg/kg | OK |
Recommended seed varieties
EU-Chania Desi 1Dryland 600-1200m / Highland 1500-2500m
Egerton University · 75-100 days · 7-12 bags/acre
Drought tolerant; early maturing; erect growth suitable for combine harvesting.
Saina-K1 (ICCV 95423)Dryland 600-1200m / Highland 1500-2500m
KALRO · 75-120 days · 5-14 bags/acre
Large seeded Kabuli type; drought tolerant; grows well in black cotton soils.
Chania Desi 2Dryland 800-1200m / Highland 1500-2500m
Egerton University · 75-90 days · 5-14 bags/acre
Drought and heat tolerant; resistant to Fusarium wilt
Mwea 1Lowland/Medium 600-1200m
Simlaw Seeds · 90 days · 11-18 bags/acre
Highly resistant to Fusarium wilt; adapted to Mwea
Ahero 1Lowland/Medium 600-1500m
Simlaw Seeds · 90 days · 5-16 bags/acre
Resistant to Fusarium wilt; suited to Western Kenya
Economics
Market priceKES 200/kg
Expected yield500 kg/acre
Estimated revenueKES 100,000/acre
Preferred textureSandy Loam
Fertilizer prices
DAP
KES 2,500(6,500)
CAN
KES 2,500(4,500)
NPK 17:17:17
KES 2,500(5,600)
Urea
KES 2,500(5,500)
Lime
KES 1,500(1,800)
Green = subsidized · (Commercial) per 50kg bag