Growing Chickpeas in Tana River
Soil suitability analysis based on Tana River's nutrient profile
Generally not ideal — Tana River is poorly suited to Chickpeas. Tana River's soil (pH 6.4, slightly acidic) gives Chickpeas a suitability score of 2/100. Match fertilizer to Tana River's nitrogen and phosphorus levels for the best result.
Tana River County is a challenging environment for Chickpeas (soil-match score 2/100) and will need significant amendment before planting. Local soils average pH 6.4 — slightly acidic to near-neutral and inside the 5.5–8 band Chickpeas prefers, so no lime is usually required. Nitrogen (1.04 g/kg), phosphorus (8.5 mg/kg) and potassium (108 mg/kg) all meet Chickpeas's requirements, so a maintenance fertilizer programme is enough. The county's predominantly sandy soils suit Chickpeas, which favours sandy loam. At 200 m, the county sits below Chickpeas's preferred altitude range (1500–2600 m), which limits yield potential due to heat stress. On ShambaIQ's soil-match model, Chickpeas is the #76 soil match of the 106 crops we assess for Tana River County. Chickpeas's full potential is about 600 kg/acre (~KES 120,000/acre at KES 200/kg), but at Tana River's 2/100 suitability a realistic target here is closer to 15 kg/acre (~KES 3,000/acre) unless the constraints above are addressed.
Better matched to Tana River's soil: Sorghum, Cowpeas, and Pigeon Peas — each scores higher on the same soil.
Soil & climate match
| Factor | Tana River soil | Chickpeas needs | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| pH | 6.4 | 5.5–8 | OK |
| Nitrogen | 1.04 g/kg | min 0.5 g/kg | OK |
| Phosphorus | 8.5 mg/kg | min 6 mg/kg | OK |
| Potassium | 108 mg/kg | min 100 mg/kg | OK |
| Rainfall | 400 mm | 150–500 mm | OK |
| Altitude | 200 m | 1,500–2,600 m | Low |
Seed varieties for Tana River
Varieties suited to Tana River's 200 m altitude and 400 mm annual rainfall — 3 of 9 chickpeas varieties we list.
Economics
Fertilizer prices
Green = subsidized · (Commercial) per 50kg bag