Growing Soybeans in Machakos

Soil suitability analysis based on Machakos's nutrient profile

Quick answer

Yes — Machakos is well suited to Soybeans. Machakos's soil (pH 7.03, near-neutral) gives Soybeans a suitability score of 76/100. Match fertilizer to Machakos's nitrogen and phosphorus levels for the best result.

Machakos County is well suited to Soybeans, scoring 76/100 on ShambaIQ's soil-match model. At an average pH of 7.03 the soil sits above Soybeans's preferred 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 Soybeans's requirements, so a maintenance fertilizer programme is enough. The county's predominantly sandy loam soils suit Soybeans, which favours loam. At current prices (about KES 75/kg) and a typical 700 kg/acre yield, a well-managed Soybeans crop here can gross roughly KES 52,500 per acre.

76Suitability score

Soil & climate match

FactorMachakos soilSoybeans needsStatus
pH7.0357Adjust
Nitrogen0.82 g/kgmin 0.5 g/kgOK
Phosphorus31.4 mg/kgmin 12 mg/kgOK
Potassium338 mg/kgmin 150 mg/kgOK
Rainfall700 mm600–2,000 mmOK
Altitude1,100 m0–1,800 mOK

Top dressing guide

Product
None
Timing
None required
Instruction
Soybeans fix their own Nitrogen. Do NOT apply CAN — it suppresses nodulation and reduces yield.
Bags per Acre
0

Recommended seed varieties

SB 19Medium/Highland
KALRO · 90-100 days · 8-12 bags/acre
High protein content; disease resistant; good for oil and flour.
GazelleMedium
Pannar Seeds · 95-110 days · 10-14 bags/acre
High yielding hybrid; excellent grain quality; broad adaptation.

Economics

Market priceKES 75/kg
Expected yield in Machakos665 kg/acre
Estimated revenueKES 49,875/acre
Adjusted for Machakos's 76/100 suitability. Under ideal conditions Soybeans can reach 700 kg/acre (~KES 52,500/acre) — attainable here only after the climate and soil constraints below are addressed.

Preferred textureLoam

Fertilizer prices

DAP
KES 3,500(6,500)
CAN
KES 2,875(4,500)
NPK 17:17:17
KES 3,275(5,600)
Urea
KES 3,500(5,500)
Lime
KES 1,500(1,800)

Green = subsidized · (Commercial) per 50kg bag