Growing Barley in Lamu

Soil suitability analysis based on Lamu's nutrient profile

Lamu County is a challenging environment for Barley (soil-match score 0/100) and will need significant amendment before planting. Local soils average pH 6.31 — slightly acidic to near-neutral and inside the 6–7.5 band Barley prefers, so no lime is usually required. The main gap is nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium — measured at N 0.74 g/kg, P 9.6 mg/kg, K 117 mg/kg against this crop's medium/high/medium demand — so the fertilizer plan below prioritises closing those deficits. Barley prefers loam soils, while Lamu is largely sandy, so drainage and organic-matter management matter more here. At 10 m, the county sits below Barley's preferred altitude range (2000–3000 m), which limits yield potential due to heat stress. On ShambaIQ's soil-match model, Barley is the #79 soil match of the 106 crops we assess for Lamu County. Barley's full potential is about 1,600 kg/acre (~KES 67,200/acre at KES 42/kg), but at Lamu's 0/100 suitability a realistic target here is closer to 0 kg/acre (~KES 0/acre) unless the constraints above are addressed.

Better matched to Lamu's soil: Sesame (Simsim), Sorghum, and Cowpeas — each scores higher on the same soil.