Growing Broccoli in Nandi

Soil suitability analysis based on Nandi's nutrient profile

Quick answer

Yes — Nandi is well suited to Broccoli. Nandi's soil (pH 6.17, slightly acidic) gives Broccoli a suitability score of 86/100. Match fertilizer to Nandi's nitrogen and phosphorus levels for the best result.

Nandi County is well suited to Broccoli, scoring 86/100 on ShambaIQ's soil-match model. Local soils average pH 6.17 — slightly acidic to near-neutral and inside the 6–7.5 band Broccoli prefers, so no lime is usually required. Nitrogen (1.37 g/kg), phosphorus (26.4 mg/kg) and potassium (207 mg/kg) all meet Broccoli's requirements, so a maintenance fertilizer programme is enough. The county's predominantly clay loam soils suit Broccoli, which favours loam. On ShambaIQ's soil-match model, Broccoli is the #30 soil match of the 106 crops we assess for Nandi County. At current prices (about KES 90/kg) and a typical 6,000 kg/acre yield, a well-managed Broccoli crop here can gross roughly KES 540,000 per acre.

86Suitability score

Soil & climate match

FactorNandi soilBroccoli needsStatus
pH6.1767.5OK
Nitrogen1.37 g/kgmin 1.2 g/kgOK
Phosphorus26.4 mg/kgmin 20 mg/kgOK
Potassium207 mg/kgmin 200 mg/kgOK
Rainfall1,400 mm800–1,500 mmOK
Altitude1,900 m1,800–2,800 mOK

Planting calendar

Long Rains

Month 1
Nursery Preparation & Transplanting & DAP Basal
Month 2
CAN Top Dressing (week 3) & Caterpillar Control
Month 3
Head Initiation Top Dress & Harvesting

Short Rains

Month 1
Nursery & Transplanting
Month 2
Top Dressing & DBM Scouting
Month 3
Harvesting

Dry Season

Month 1
Irrigation-based Transplanting
Month 2
CAN Top Dressing & Pest Management
Month 3
Harvesting & Land Preparation

Top dressing guide

Product
CAN
Timing
Week 3 then head initiation (week 6)
Instruction
Apply 3 weeks after transplanting and again at head initiation (~week 6); broccoli needs steady N for tight heads
Bags per Acre
1.5

Recommended seed varieties

CalabreseHighland
Simlaw Seeds · 70-90 days · 2–3.5 tons/acre
Open-pollinated broccoli; central head plus side shoots; suited to cool highlands.
Green Magic F1Highland
East Africa Seeds · 60-75 days · 3–4.5 tons/acre
Hybrid; uniform dome heads; heat tolerant; export and supermarket quality.
Marathon F1Highland
Royal Seeds · 75-95 days · 2.8–4.3 tons/acre
Large dense heads; downy mildew tolerant; excellent for high-altitude production.

Economics

Market priceKES 90/kg
Expected yield 6,000 kg/acre
Estimated revenueKES 540,000/acre

Preferred textureLoam

Fertilizer prices

DAP
KES 3,500(6,500)
CAN
KES 2,875(5,700)
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