Growing Garden Peas in Taita Taveta

Soil suitability analysis based on Taita Taveta's nutrient profile

Taita Taveta County is a challenging environment for Garden Peas (soil-match score 7/100) and will need significant amendment before planting. Local soils average pH 6.64 — neutral and inside the 5.5–7 band Garden Peas prefers, so no lime is usually required. The main gap is potassium — measured at N 0.97 g/kg, P 12.9 mg/kg, K 104 mg/kg against this crop's low/medium/medium demand — so the fertilizer plan below prioritises closing that deficit. The county's predominantly loam soils suit Garden Peas, which favours sandy loam. Taita Taveta receives approximately 500 mm/year — well below Garden Peas's minimum of 800 mm — so supplemental irrigation would be essential for this crop. On ShambaIQ's soil-match model, Garden Peas is the #100 soil match of the 106 crops we assess for Taita Taveta County. Garden Peas's full potential is about 2,500 kg/acre (~KES 362,500/acre at KES 145/kg), but at Taita Taveta's 7/100 suitability a realistic target here is closer to 219 kg/acre (~KES 31,755/acre) unless the constraints above are addressed.

Better matched to Taita Taveta's soil: Sorghum, Cowpeas, and Pigeon Peas — each scores higher on the same soil.