Growing Bambara Nuts in Lamu
Soil suitability analysis based on Lamu's nutrient profile
Yes — Lamu is well suited to Bambara Nuts. Lamu's soil (pH 6.31, slightly acidic) gives Bambara Nuts a suitability score of 87/100. Match fertilizer to Lamu's nitrogen and phosphorus levels for the best result.
Lamu County is well suited to Bambara Nuts, scoring 87/100 on ShambaIQ's soil-match model. Local soils average pH 6.31 — slightly acidic to near-neutral and inside the 5–6.5 band Bambara Nuts prefers, so no lime is usually required. Nitrogen (0.74 g/kg), phosphorus (9.6 mg/kg) and potassium (117 mg/kg) all meet Bambara Nuts's requirements, so a maintenance fertilizer programme is enough. The county's predominantly sandy soils suit Bambara Nuts, which favours sandy. On ShambaIQ's soil-match model, Bambara Nuts is the #12 soil match of the 106 crops we assess for Lamu County. At current prices (about KES 150/kg) and a typical 400 kg/acre yield, a well-managed Bambara Nuts crop here can gross roughly KES 60,000 per acre.
Soil & climate match
| Factor | Lamu soil | Bambara Nuts needs | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| pH | 6.31 | 5–6.5 | OK |
| Nitrogen | 0.74 g/kg | min 0.5 g/kg | OK |
| Phosphorus | 9.6 mg/kg | min 6 mg/kg | OK |
| Potassium | 117 mg/kg | min 100 mg/kg | OK |
| Rainfall | 600 mm | 500–800 mm | OK |
| Altitude | 10 m | 0–1,600 m | OK |
Recommended seed varieties
Economics
Fertilizer prices
Green = subsidized · (Commercial) per 50kg bag