Growing Sesame (Simsim) in Machakos
Soil suitability analysis based on Machakos's nutrient profile
Yes — Machakos is well suited to Sesame (Simsim). Machakos's soil (pH 7.03, near-neutral) gives Sesame (Simsim) 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 Sesame (Simsim), scoring 82/100 on ShambaIQ's soil-match model. At an average pH of 7.03 the soil sits above Sesame (Simsim)'s preferred 5.5–7 range, which can limit uptake of phosphorus and micronutrients. Nitrogen (0.82 g/kg), phosphorus (31.4 mg/kg) and potassium (338 mg/kg) all meet Sesame (Simsim)'s requirements, so a maintenance fertilizer programme is enough. The county's predominantly sandy loam soils suit Sesame (Simsim), which favours sandy. On ShambaIQ's soil-match model, Sesame (Simsim) is the #45 soil match of the 106 crops we assess for Machakos County. At current prices (about KES 350/kg) and a typical 250 kg/acre yield, a well-managed Sesame (Simsim) crop here can gross roughly KES 87,500 per acre.
Soil & climate match
| Factor | Machakos soil | Sesame (Simsim) needs | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| pH | 7.03 | 5.5–7 | Adjust |
| 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 | 300–800 mm | OK |
| Altitude | 1,100 m | 0–1,600 m | OK |
Recommended seed varieties
Economics
Fertilizer prices
Green = subsidized · (Commercial) per 50kg bag