Growing Dolichos in Tana River

Soil suitability analysis based on Tana River's nutrient profile

Tana River County is a challenging environment for Dolichos (soil-match score 4/100) and will need significant amendment before planting. Local soils average pH 6.4 — slightly acidic to near-neutral and inside the 5–7.5 band Dolichos prefers, so no lime is usually required. Nitrogen (1.04 g/kg), phosphorus (8.5 mg/kg) and potassium (108 mg/kg) all meet Dolichos's requirements, so a maintenance fertilizer programme is enough. The county's predominantly sandy soils suit Dolichos, which favours sandy loam. At 200 m, the county sits below Dolichos's preferred altitude range (1000–2100 m), which limits yield potential due to heat stress. On ShambaIQ's soil-match model, Dolichos is the #69 soil match of the 106 crops we assess for Tana River County. Dolichos's full potential is about 600 kg/acre (~KES 72,000/acre at KES 120/kg), but at Tana River's 4/100 suitability a realistic target here is closer to 30 kg/acre (~KES 3,600/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.