Growing Lucerne in Nakuru

Soil suitability analysis based on Nakuru's nutrient profile

Nakuru County is well suited to Lucerne, scoring 75/100 on ShambaIQ's soil-match model. At an average pH of 6.28 the soil is slightly acidic to near-neutral, below Lucerne's preferred 6.5–8 range; agricultural lime will lift pH and unlock phosphorus the crop cannot otherwise access. Nitrogen (1.59 g/kg), phosphorus (25.2 mg/kg) and potassium (239 mg/kg) all meet Lucerne's requirements, so a maintenance fertilizer programme is enough. The county's predominantly clay loam soils suit Lucerne, which favours clay loam. At current prices (about KES 28/kg) and a typical 6,500 kg/acre yield, a well-managed Lucerne crop here can gross roughly KES 182,000 per acre.