Growing Beans in Nyamira

Soil suitability analysis based on Nyamira's nutrient profile

Quick answer

Yes — Nyamira is well suited to Beans. Nyamira's soil (pH 5.58, slightly acidic) gives Beans a suitability score of 79/100. Match fertilizer to Nyamira's nitrogen and phosphorus levels for the best result.

Nyamira County is well suited to Beans, scoring 79/100 on ShambaIQ's soil-match model. At an average pH of 5.58 the soil is slightly acidic to near-neutral, below Beans's preferred 6–7 range; agricultural lime will lift pH and unlock phosphorus the crop cannot otherwise access. The main gap is phosphorus — measured at N 0.84 g/kg, P 11.6 mg/kg, K 148 mg/kg against this crop's low/medium/low demand — so the fertilizer plan below prioritises closing that deficit. The county's predominantly clay loam soils suit Beans, which favours loam. On ShambaIQ's soil-match model, Beans is the #16 soil match of the 106 crops we assess for Nyamira County. At current prices (about KES 130/kg) and a typical 800 kg/acre yield, a well-managed Beans crop here can gross roughly KES 104,000 per acre.

79Suitability score

Soil & climate match

FactorNyamira soilBeans needsStatus
pH5.5867Adjust
Nitrogen0.84 g/kgmin 0.5 g/kgOK
Phosphorus11.6 mg/kgmin 12 mg/kgLow
Potassium148 mg/kgmin 100 mg/kgOK
Rainfall1,600 mm500–1,600 mmOK
Altitude1,700 m0–2,500 mOK

Planting calendar for Nyamira

Long Rains· MarchMayMain season here

March
Sowing & Basal Fertilizer (DAP)
April
1st Weeding & Thinning
May
Flowering Stage & Pest Control

Short Rains· AugustOctober

August
Sowing & Basal Fertilizer
September
1st Weeding & Thinning
October
Flowering Stage

Dry Season· JanuaryMarch

January
Post-Harvest Storage
February
Land Resting
March
Seed Selection

Top dressing guide

Product
None
Timing
None required
Instruction
Beans fix their own Nitrogen. Do NOT apply CAN — it will reduce yield.
Bags per acre in Nyamira
0

Nyamira's nitrogen reads 0.84 g/kg, but the rate stays at zero: Beans is not top-dressed, for the crop-specific reason above.

Seed varieties for Nyamira

Varieties suited to Nyamira's 1,700 m altitude and 1,600 mm annual rainfall — 5 of 7 beans varieties we list.

KAT B1Dryland/Medium
KALRO · 60-65 days · 8-10 bags/acre
Yellow bean; highly tolerant to drought and heat.
ChelalangMedium/Highland
KALRO · 75-80 days · 12-15 bags/acre
High yield; resistant to root rot and angular leaf spot.
NyotaDryland/Medium
KALRO · 65-70 days · 10-13 bags/acre
Navy bean type; iron-rich; KEPHIS certified; popular in export markets.
KAT B9Medium/Highland
KALRO · 70-75 days · 12-14 bags/acre
Bush bean; resistant to anthracnose and angular leaf spot; good grain quality.
Kenya Mali (KAT SW-12)Medium
KALRO · 70-75 days · 11-13 bags/acre
Speckled sugar bean; high market value; widely traded in Nairobi market chains.

Economics

Market priceKES 130/kg
Expected yield in Nyamira790 kg/acre
Estimated revenueKES 102,700/acre
Adjusted for Nyamira's 79/100 suitability. Under ideal conditions Beans can reach 800 kg/acre (~KES 104,000/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(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