Growing Chickpeas in Kilifi
Soil suitability analysis based on Kilifi's nutrient profile
Generally not ideal — Kilifi is poorly suited to Chickpeas. Kilifi's soil (pH 6.24, slightly acidic) gives Chickpeas a suitability score of 1/100. Match fertilizer to Kilifi's nitrogen and phosphorus levels for the best result.
Kilifi County is a challenging environment for Chickpeas (soil-match score 1/100) and will need significant amendment before planting. Local soils average pH 6.24 — slightly acidic to near-neutral and inside the 5.5–8 band Chickpeas prefers, so no lime is usually required. Nitrogen (0.8 g/kg), phosphorus (11 mg/kg) and potassium (109 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 150 m, the county sits below Chickpeas's preferred altitude range (1500–2600 m), which limits yield potential due to heat stress. On ShambaIQ's soil-match model, Chickpeas is the #91 soil match of the 106 crops we assess for Kilifi County. Chickpeas's full potential is about 600 kg/acre (~KES 120,000/acre at KES 200/kg), but at Kilifi's 1/100 suitability a realistic target here is closer to 8 kg/acre (~KES 1,600/acre) unless the constraints above are addressed.
Better matched to Kilifi's soil: Sesame (Simsim), Sorghum, and Finger Millet — each scores higher on the same soil.
Soil & climate match
| Factor | Kilifi soil | Chickpeas needs | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| pH | 6.24 | 5.5–8 | OK |
| Nitrogen | 0.8 g/kg | min 0.5 g/kg | OK |
| Phosphorus | 11 mg/kg | min 6 mg/kg | OK |
| Potassium | 109 mg/kg | min 100 mg/kg | OK |
| Rainfall | 700 mm | 150–500 mm | High |
| Altitude | 150 m | 1,500–2,600 m | Low |
Seed varieties for Kilifi
Varieties suited to Kilifi's 150 m altitude and 700 mm annual rainfall — 3 of 9 chickpeas varieties we list.
Economics
Fertilizer prices
Green = subsidized · (Commercial) per 50kg bag