Growing French Beans in Turkana

Soil suitability analysis based on Turkana's nutrient profile

Turkana County is a challenging environment for French Beans (soil-match score 1/100) and will need significant amendment before planting. At an average pH of 7.95 the soil sits above French Beans's preferred 5.8–7 range, which can limit uptake of phosphorus and micronutrients. The main gap is nitrogen — measured at N 0.41 g/kg, P 38.5 mg/kg, K 417 mg/kg against this crop's low/high/medium demand — so the fertilizer plan below prioritises closing that deficit. French Beans prefers loam soils, while Turkana is largely sandy, so drainage and organic-matter management matter more here. Turkana receives approximately 300 mm/year — well below French Beans's minimum of 900 mm — so supplemental irrigation would be essential for this crop. On ShambaIQ's soil-match model, French Beans is the #93 soil match of the 106 crops we assess for Turkana County. French Beans's full potential is about 3,500 kg/acre (~KES 280,000/acre at KES 80/kg), but at Turkana's 1/100 suitability a realistic target here is closer to 44 kg/acre (~KES 3,520/acre) unless the constraints above are addressed.

Better matched to Turkana's soil: Sisal, Aloe Vera, and Green Grams — each scores higher on the same soil.