Successful Soya Bean Farming In Kenya

Soybeans are processed for their oil and protein for both animal feed industry and human consumption. Soy beans are processed and made into products including soy milk, soy flour, soy protein and many retail food products

Varieties

Hill, Perry 41, Black hawk, Red tanner, Composite, Duicker, EAI 3600, Gazelle, SCS-1, Sable

Ecological requirements

Altitude: 0-2000m above sea level

Rainfall: At least 400mm per annum

Temperature: 15-25⁰C

Soils: Well drained and fertile soils, rich in calcium with PH ranging from 5.6-7.0

Land preparation

Should be done during the dry spell to allow the trash to dry and rot, to expose soil borne pests to scorching sun. Harrow the soil to medium tilth desirable for bean production.

Planting

Planting should be done during the onset of rains. Plant 2 seeds per hole at a spacing of 30cm by 15cm and thin to 1 plant per hole.

Weed management

2-3 hand weeding should be done or spray pre-emergence herbicides such as Alachlor or post-emergence herbicide eg Bentazon.

 Pest management

African boll worm: Use suitable insecticide such as karate.

Cotton aphids: Use suitable insecticide such as karate or match.

Semi-looper caterpillars: Spray using suitable insecticide eg Duduthrin, match or karate.

Nematodes: Practice crop rotation.

Bean fly: Destroy volunteer plants, early planting, avoid crop overlap, seed dress using chemicals such as thiodan.

Storage weevils: Dry grains properly before storage, dust grains with Actellic super, Skana super, Spintor dust, Super malper or Sumicombi before storage. Dust even the store, clean and dust the old grains already in store.

Disease management

Bacterial blight: Plant tolerant varieties, use certified seeds, avoid cultivation when leaves are wet.

Soya bean mosaic virus: Plant virus free seeds, control vectors such as aphids, rogue infected plants.

White mold: Plant resistant varieties, avoid planting the crop near tobacco field.

Brown spot: Plant clean and certified seeds, practice crop rotation, observe good drainage, use copper based fungicides.

Downy mildew: Plant resistant varieties plant clean and certified seeds, practice crop rotation, use fungicides such as ridomil gold.

Harvesting

Maturity index-Leaves start turning yellow, one pod per plant at harvesting stage turns brown. Yield range between 500-1000kg per hectare.

Storage

Dry grains to moisture content below 12% and dress with chemicals such as Actellic 2%. Seeds meant for planting should not be stored for more than 6 months.