By Henry Mang’eni
In Kenya, beans are a food that is common in almost every home and institution like hospitals, schools, and colleges. It is known for its rich in protein, carbohydrates, trace elements, and vitamins.
Other uses include:
- Nitrogen-fixing, which improves soil fertility.
- The remains after harvest are used as livestock feeds and organic matter in the soil.
- The green leaves are cooked and used as a vegetable in some communities in Kenya.
- The leaves especially in western Kenya are dried and burnt so that the ash is made and applied as an additive to the vegetable meal “munyu”.
Beans are grown mainly in Eastern, Central, Rift Valley, and Western regions though there are other parts of the country where it is grown but on a very small scale.
The Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) has continued to develop new varieties of beans that have characteristics that suit mainly climate due to its change and also its uses. Indeed there are many varieties of beans in the market in Kenya.
KATRAM, a red-mottled type classified as bush bean, stands out with the following characteristics:
- It is fast maturing harvested at 60 – 70 days.
- It is drought tolerant that makes it suit weather extremities due to climate change.
- It is high-yielding, producing 6 -9 bags per acre.
- Resistant to Bean Rust disease (Bean Common Mosaic Virus BMV) and Bean Common Mosaic Necrotic Virus (BCMNV).
CLIMATE /TEMPERATURE
Katram in Kenya does well specifically in Makueni, Narok, Nakuru, Siaya, Kisumu, Homabay, Kajiado, Laikipia, Nyeri, Embu, Taita Taveta, Kiambu, Muranga and Kirinyaga.
Temperatures of 15 – 33 degrees centigrade.
PLANTING
The time for planting is highly determined by the seasons and onset of rains.
One key thing in starting is seed selection where good selection ensures quality in terms of uniformity of course, other considerations should be the variety you desire and also avoid the diseased and broken seed.
Spacing of 50 cm x 10 cm is a pure stand though some intercrop and are advised to do a wider spacing of 45 cm x 20 cm.
For good results, the practice of planting beans in the same hole as maize is discouraged. Exercise minimum disturbance during the onset of flowers.
FERTILIZER
The importance of soil testing before feeding the soil is that one will know which nutrient is required for the soil to support the plants.
DAP 20:20:0 and 23:23:0 or compound fertilizer can be applied at a rate of 1 bag per acre depending on the soil analysis report.
Some farmers prefer organic fertilizers and a number of them are available at the markets.
PEST AND DISEASES
Pests that require attention include Cutworms, Bean flies, Thrips, Aphids, White flie,s and pod borers which can be tackled using insecticides chemical, biological, and organic.
This variety is resistant to viruses however cases like Fusarium and root rot.
MARKET
The farmers have access to market in their local areas and traders from other counties however most farmers are happy being given production contracts by state organizations like Kenya Agriculture and Research Organization (KALRO) who give them guidelines and requirements to grow the beans for seed.
There is generally a good price for the newly developed varieties like Katram.
The users have also observed that among the beans available in their locations; Katram takes long to cook but is preferred especially for its nutritional characteristics.
KATRAM seed varieties and the best regions to grow them
- KAT RM01- These beans are suited to 900-1600 meters above sea level and include Naivasha, most of Laikipia and Machakos, and the central and southern Coast of Kenya
- KAT X56 is a fairly drought-resistant bean variety making it suitable for semi-arid regions such as Machakos
- KATX69- this is a drought-tolerant bean variety that is suited to various climatic conditions and regions ranging from Bungoma in Western Kenya to semi-arid regions in Embu, Kwale, Makueni, Meru, Narok, Nyeri, and Tharaka Nithi.