Growing French Beans in Kilifi

Soil suitability analysis based on Kilifi's nutrient profile

Kilifi County is a challenging environment for French Beans (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 5.8–7 band French Beans prefers, so no lime is usually required. The main gap is phosphorus and potassium — measured at N 0.8 g/kg, P 11 mg/kg, K 109 mg/kg against this crop's low/high/medium demand — so the fertilizer plan below prioritises closing those deficits. The county's predominantly sandy loam soils suit French Beans, which favours loam. At 150 m, the county sits below French Beans's preferred altitude range (1000–2100 m), which limits yield potential due to heat stress. On ShambaIQ's soil-match model, French Beans is the #88 soil match of the 106 crops we assess for Kilifi County. French Beans's full potential is about 3,500 kg/acre (~KES 280,000/acre at KES 80/kg), but at Kilifi's 1/100 suitability a realistic target here is closer to 44 kg/acre (~KES 3,520/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.