Growing Chickpeas in Machakos
Soil suitability analysis based on Machakos's nutrient profile
Generally not ideal — Machakos is poorly suited to Chickpeas. Machakos's soil (pH 7.03, near-neutral) gives Chickpeas a suitability score of 39/100. Match fertilizer to Machakos's nitrogen and phosphorus levels for the best result.
Machakos County is a challenging environment for Chickpeas (soil-match score 39/100) and will need significant amendment before planting. Local soils average pH 7.03 — neutral and inside the 5.5–8 band Chickpeas prefers, so no lime is usually required. Nitrogen (0.82 g/kg), phosphorus (31.4 mg/kg) and potassium (338 mg/kg) all meet Chickpeas's requirements, so a maintenance fertilizer programme is enough. The county's predominantly sandy loam soils suit Chickpeas, which favours sandy loam. On ShambaIQ's soil-match model, Chickpeas is the #84 soil match of the 106 crops we assess for Machakos County. Chickpeas's full potential is about 600 kg/acre (~KES 120,000/acre at KES 200/kg), but at Machakos's 39/100 suitability a realistic target here is closer to 293 kg/acre (~KES 58,600/acre) unless the constraints above are addressed.
Better matched to Machakos's soil: Mango, Sisal, and Moringa — each scores higher on the same soil.
Soil & climate match
| Factor | Machakos soil | Chickpeas needs | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| pH | 7.03 | 5.5–8 | OK |
| Nitrogen | 0.82 g/kg | min 0.5 g/kg | OK |
| Phosphorus | 31.4 mg/kg | min 6 mg/kg | OK |
| Potassium | 338 mg/kg | min 100 mg/kg | OK |
| Rainfall | 700 mm | 150–500 mm | High |
| Altitude | 1,100 m | 1,500–2,600 m | Low |
Seed varieties for Machakos
9 chickpeas varieties are rated for Machakos's altitude (1,100 m) and rainfall (700 mm):
Economics
Fertilizer prices
Green = subsidized · (Commercial) per 50kg bag