Growing Dolichos in Machakos
Soil suitability analysis based on Machakos's nutrient profile
Yes — Machakos is well suited to Dolichos. Machakos's soil (pH 7.03, near-neutral) gives Dolichos a suitability score of 82/100. Match fertilizer to Machakos's nitrogen and phosphorus levels for the best result.
Machakos County is well suited to Dolichos, scoring 82/100 on ShambaIQ's soil-match model. Local soils average pH 7.03 — neutral and inside the 5–7.5 band Dolichos prefers, so no lime is usually required. Nitrogen (0.82 g/kg), phosphorus (31.4 mg/kg) and potassium (338 mg/kg) all meet Dolichos's requirements, so a maintenance fertilizer programme is enough. The county's predominantly sandy loam soils suit Dolichos, which favours sandy loam. On ShambaIQ's soil-match model, Dolichos is the #44 soil match of the 106 crops we assess for Machakos County. At current prices (about KES 120/kg) and a typical 600 kg/acre yield, a well-managed Dolichos crop here can gross roughly KES 72,000 per acre.
Soil & climate match
| Factor | Machakos soil | Dolichos needs | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| pH | 7.03 | 5–7.5 | 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 | 400–1,000 mm | OK |
| Altitude | 1,100 m | 1,000–2,100 m | OK |
Planting calendar for Machakos
Long Rains· March–May
Short Rains· October–DecemberMain season here
Dry Season· January–March
Top dressing guide
Machakos's nitrogen reads 0.82 g/kg, but the rate stays at zero: Dolichos is not top-dressed, for the crop-specific reason above.
Seed varieties for Machakos
Varieties suited to Machakos's 1,100 m altitude and 700 mm annual rainfall — 4 of 6 dolichos varieties we list.
Economics
Fertilizer prices
Green = subsidized · (Commercial) per 50kg bag