Growing Sunflower in Kwale

Soil suitability analysis based on Kwale's nutrient profile

Kwale County is well suited to Sunflower, scoring 83/100 on ShambaIQ's soil-match model. Local soils average pH 6.76 — neutral and inside the 6–7.5 band Sunflower prefers, so no lime is usually required. The main gap is phosphorus and potassium — measured at N 0.93 g/kg, P 9.8 mg/kg, K 131 mg/kg against this crop's medium/medium/medium demand — so the fertilizer plan below prioritises closing those deficits. The county's predominantly sandy loam soils suit Sunflower, which favours sandy. At current prices (about KES 48/kg) and a typical 750 kg/acre yield, a well-managed Sunflower crop here can gross roughly KES 36,000 per acre.