Growing Dragon Fruit in Kitui

Soil suitability analysis based on Kitui's nutrient profile

Kitui County is well suited to Dragon Fruit, scoring 80/100 on ShambaIQ's soil-match model. At an average pH of 7.03 the soil sits above Dragon Fruit's preferred 5.5–7 range, which can limit uptake of phosphorus and micronutrients. The main gap is nitrogen — measured at N 0.74 g/kg, P 30.5 mg/kg, K 339 mg/kg against this crop's medium/medium/high demand — so the fertilizer plan below prioritises closing that deficit. The county's predominantly sandy loam soils suit Dragon Fruit, which favours sandy loam. At current prices (about KES 500/kg) and a typical 5,000 kg/acre yield, a well-managed Dragon Fruit crop here can gross roughly KES 2,500,000 per acre.