Growing Bambara Nuts in Makueni
Soil suitability analysis based on Makueni's nutrient profile
Yes, with the right inputs — Makueni is moderately suited to Bambara Nuts. Makueni's soil (pH 7.5, alkaline) gives Bambara Nuts a suitability score of 61/100. Match fertilizer to Makueni's nitrogen and phosphorus levels for the best result.
Makueni County is a solid choice for Bambara Nuts, with a soil-match score of 61/100. At an average pH of 7.5 the soil sits above Bambara Nuts's preferred 5–6.5 range, which can limit uptake of phosphorus and micronutrients. Nitrogen (0.86 g/kg), phosphorus (29.6 mg/kg) and potassium (351 mg/kg) all meet Bambara Nuts's requirements, so a maintenance fertilizer programme is enough. The county's predominantly sandy loam soils suit Bambara Nuts, which favours sandy. On ShambaIQ's soil-match model, Bambara Nuts is the #59 soil match of the 106 crops we assess for Makueni County. Bambara Nuts's full potential is about 400 kg/acre (~KES 60,000/acre at KES 150/kg), but at Makueni's 61/100 suitability a realistic target here is closer to 305 kg/acre (~KES 45,750/acre) unless the constraints above are addressed.
Soil & climate match
| Factor | Makueni soil | Bambara Nuts needs | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| pH | 7.5 | 5–6.5 | Adjust |
| Nitrogen | 0.86 g/kg | min 0.5 g/kg | OK |
| Phosphorus | 29.6 mg/kg | min 6 mg/kg | OK |
| Potassium | 351 mg/kg | min 100 mg/kg | OK |
| Rainfall | 600 mm | 500–800 mm | OK |
| Altitude | 1,000 m | 0–1,600 m | OK |
Recommended seed varieties
Economics
Fertilizer prices
Green = subsidized · (Commercial) per 50kg bag