Is Kitui good for growing Dolichos?

Kitui County scores 66/100 for Dolichos suitability (good). Soil pH is 7.03 against a preferred 5–7.5, nitrogen 0.74 g/kg and phosphorus 30.5 mg/kg. County rainfall is 500 mm/year against Dolichos's 400–1000 mm range. This is a workable match for Dolichos.

What fertilizer is best for Dolichos in Kitui?

Base the plan on Kitui's soil: pH 7.03, nitrogen 0.74 g/kg and phosphorus 30.5 mg/kg. Get an exact bag-per-acre basal and top-dressing schedule free at https://shambaiq.com/app.

What soil pH does Dolichos need, and does Kitui have it?

Dolichos grows best at pH 5–7.5. Kitui averages pH 7.03, which is within that range.

How much can I earn from Dolichos per acre in Kitui?

At roughly KES 120/kg and an expected 600 kg/acre, gross revenue is about KES 72,000 per acre before input costs. Use the ShambaIQ budget tool for a net figure based on your fertilizer plan.

Growing Dolichos in Kitui

Soil suitability analysis based on Kitui's nutrient profile

Quick answer

Yes, with the right inputs — Kitui is moderately suited to Dolichos. Kitui's soil (pH 7.03, near-neutral) gives Dolichos a suitability score of 66/100. Match fertilizer to Kitui's nitrogen and phosphorus levels for the best result.

Kitui County is a solid choice for Dolichos, with a soil-match score of 66/100. Local soils average pH 7.03 — neutral and inside the 5–7.5 band Dolichos prefers, so no lime is usually required. Nitrogen (0.74 g/kg), phosphorus (30.5 mg/kg) and potassium (339 mg/kg) all meet Dolichos's requirements, so a maintenance fertilizer programme is enough. The county's predominantly sandy loam soils suit Dolichos, which favours sandy loam. On ShambaIQ's soil-match model, Dolichos is the #41 soil match of the 106 crops we assess for Kitui County. Dolichos's full potential is about 600 kg/acre (~KES 72,000/acre at KES 120/kg), but at Kitui's 66/100 suitability a realistic target here is closer to 495 kg/acre (~KES 59,400/acre) unless the constraints above are addressed.

Suitability score

Soil & climate match

Factor	Kitui soil	Dolichos needs	Status
pH	7.03	5–7.5	OK
Nitrogen	0.74 g/kg	min 0.5 g/kg	OK
Phosphorus	30.5 mg/kg	min 6 mg/kg	OK
Potassium	339 mg/kg	min 100 mg/kg	OK
Rainfall	500 mm	400–1,000 mm	OK
Altitude	900 m	1,000–2,100 m	Low

Planting calendar for Kitui

Long Rains· March–May

March

Sowing & DAP Basal Fertilizer (NO CAN — nitrogen fixer)

April

Weeding & Vine Support if needed

May

Pod Fill & Harvesting

Short Rains· October–DecemberMain season here

October

Sowing & Basal Fertilizer (no CAN)

November

Weeding & Pest Scouting

December

Harvesting & Seed Drying

Dry Season· January–March

January

Post-Harvest seed storage

February

Land Resting (N benefit remains in soil)

March

Seed Selection & preparation

Top dressing guide

Product

None

Timing

None required

Instruction

Dolichos (njahi) fixes its own nitrogen through rhizobia. Do NOT apply CAN — it suppresses nodulation and reduces yield. A starter dose of phosphorus at planting is enough.

Bags per acre in Kitui

Kitui's nitrogen reads 0.74 g/kg, but the rate stays at zero: Dolichos is not top-dressed, for the crop-specific reason above.

Seed varieties for Kitui

Varieties suited to Kitui's 900 m altitude and 500 mm annual rainfall — 4 of 6 dolichos varieties we list.

DL 1002Dryland/Medium

KALRO · 90-110 days · 7-11 bags/acre

Improved dual-purpose lablab; grain and fodder; tolerant to drought and low fertility.

ELDO-KT Black 1Medium/Highland 10-2000m

University of Eldoret · 135-150 days · 14-22 bags/acre

Black seeded; short cooking time; uniform maturity.

ELDO-KT CreamMedium/Highland 10-2000m

University of Eldoret · 120-135 days · 16-25 bags/acre

Cream seeded; early maturity; good flavor; short cooking time.

ELDO-KT Black 2Medium/Highland 10-2000m

University of Eldoret · 120-135 days · 16-29 bags/acre

Black seeded; medium maturity; robust growth.

Economics

Market priceKES 120/kg

Expected yield in Kitui495 kg/acre

Estimated revenueKES 59,400/acre

Adjusted for Kitui's 66/100 suitability. Under ideal conditions Dolichos can reach 600 kg/acre (~KES 72,000/acre) — attainable here only after the climate and soil constraints below are addressed.

Preferred textureSandy Loam

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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