Growing Butternut Squash in Nandi

Soil suitability analysis based on Nandi's nutrient profile

Nandi County is well suited to Butternut Squash, scoring 84/100 on ShambaIQ's soil-match model. Local soils average pH 6.17 — slightly acidic to near-neutral and inside the 5.5–7.5 band Butternut Squash prefers, so no lime is usually required. Nitrogen (1.37 g/kg), phosphorus (26.4 mg/kg) and potassium (207 mg/kg) all meet Butternut Squash's requirements, so a maintenance fertilizer programme is enough. Butternut Squash prefers sandy loam soils, while Nandi is largely clay loam, so drainage and organic-matter management matter more here. On ShambaIQ's soil-match model, Butternut Squash is the #41 soil match of the 106 crops we assess for Nandi County. At current prices (about KES 40/kg) and a typical 10,000 kg/acre yield, a well-managed Butternut Squash crop here can gross roughly KES 400,000 per acre.