Growing French Beans in Kirinyaga

Soil suitability analysis based on Kirinyaga's nutrient profile

Kirinyaga County is a solid choice for French Beans, with a soil-match score of 70/100. At an average pH of 5.31 the soil is moderately acidic, below French Beans's preferred 5.8–7 range; agricultural lime will lift pH and unlock phosphorus the crop cannot otherwise access. The main gap is phosphorus — measured at N 1.36 g/kg, P 12.5 mg/kg, K 177 mg/kg against this crop's low/high/medium demand — so the fertilizer plan below prioritises closing that deficit. French Beans prefers loam soils, while Kirinyaga is largely clay, so drainage and organic-matter management matter more here. On ShambaIQ's soil-match model, French Beans is the #40 soil match of the 106 crops we assess for Kirinyaga County. French Beans's full potential is about 3,500 kg/acre (~KES 280,000/acre at KES 80/kg), but at Kirinyaga's 70/100 suitability a realistic target here is closer to 3,063 kg/acre (~KES 245,040/acre) unless the constraints above are addressed.