You have one acre of fertile land to cultivate. You want to grow a crop that can produce impressive yields and earn you good money. A crop that’s not too complicated to grow, has a ready market, and can fit well into crop rotation.
Well, look no further than yellow beans!
These sunny legumes are a smallholder farmer’s dream. With optimal practices, you can yield 2,000 kg or more of yellow beans per acre. At current market prices, that can mean over Ksh 200,000 from just one acre!
Types of Yellow Beans
There are two main types of yellow beans grown in Kenya – pole beans and bush beans. Within each type, several popular varieties are cultivated:
Pole Yellow Beans
- Yellow roman. Produces bright yellow, flat pods on vigorous climbing vines. Matures in 75 days. Great flavor.
- Marvel of Venice. Heavy yielding Italian heirloom with tender, stringless pods. Tolerates cool conditions.
- Gold nectar. Commercial variety with long, smooth, golden-yellow pods. Good pest resistance.
- Kentucky wonder. American heirloom with curved, meaty pods. Grows well in mid-altitudes.
- Monte gusto. Prolific variety from Zambia with yellow-green pods. Matures in 65-70 days.
Bush Yellow Beans
- Brittle wax bush snap bean – Pods harvest yellow and become tan colored. Great for canning.
- Pencil pod black wax bean – Produces long, slender, bright yellow pods. Delicate flavor.
- Golden butter wax bush snap bean – Compact bush with smooth, golden pods. Tolerates humidity well.
- Goldrush bush snap bean – Commercial variety yields straight, yellow and purple-striped pods.
The pole beans need staking while bush types are free standing. Both offer delicious bean varieties suited to Kenyan growing conditions.
Ecological Requirements for Farming Yellow Beans
Yellow beans grow best in certain conditions for optimal production:
| Requirement | Description |
|---|---|
| Altitude | From sea level up to 2,400 meters above sea level |
| Rainfall | At least 500-800 mm well distributed over the growing season |
| Soils | Deep, well-drained sandy loams or clay loams with good fertility |
| pH | Ideal soil pH is 5.5 to 7.5 |
| Temperature | 18°C to 27°C is preferred but some varieties tolerate higher and lower temperatures |
The climate requirements make yellow beans well-suited for most parts of Kenya apart from very arid and semi-arid areas. They perform best in the highland zones which offer higher rainfall, moderate temperatures and rich volcanic soils.
With irrigation, yellow beans can also thrive in drier lower zones. Soil fertility is crucial – the plants need adequate nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium for vigorous growth and maximum pod set.
Best Farming Practices for Yellow Beans
Follow these recommendations to achieve bountiful harvests from your yellow bean crop:
Best Farming Practices For Yellow Beans Infographic
Pests and Diseases, and How to Control Them
Yellow beans are susceptible to various pests and diseases, especially when grown intensively. Here are the major problems facing yellow bean farmers in Kenya and effective control methods:
Bean Flies
Bean flies are a common pest that affects many bean varieties. The adult flies lay eggs on leaves and stems which hatch into larvae (maggots) that bore into the plant and damage pods.
Control Measures
- Remove crop residue after harvest to eliminate breeding sites
- Use yellow sticky trap cards to monitor and catch adult flies
- Apply neem oil sprays which deter egg laying by flies
- Spray insecticides like cypermethrin, dimethoate or deltamethrin at first sign of infestation
Thrips
Thrips are tiny insects that feed on bean flowers and developing pods. This prevents pod formation and causes withering or death of flowers. Heavy infestations greatly reduce yields.
Control Measures
- Use blue sticky cards to monitor thrip populations
- Spray with spinosad, imidacloprid or lambda-cyhalothrin insecticides
- Intercrop or alternate planting with onion or garlic which repel thrips
Aphids
Aphids are small sap-sucking insects that cluster on young shoots, pods and undersides of leaves. Their feeding causes yellow speckling, wilting and leaf curling. They also transmit viral diseases between plants.
Control Measures
- Apply neem oil which disrupts the aphid life cycle
- Spray with insecticidal soaps which suffocate the insects
- Use systemic insecticides like imidacloprid as a last resort
- Attract predatory ladybirds and lacewings which feed on aphids
Bean Stem Maggot
The larvae of bean stem maggot burrow into the stem base and root nodules, damaging the vascular tissue. This causes wilting, stunting and even death of affected plants.
Control Measures
- Remove and destroy crop remnants after harvest
- Top dress with ash to deter egg-laying
- Spray lambda-cyhalothrin or diazinon onto lower stem and soil
- Rotate beans with non-host crops like maize, potatoes or cabbages
Angular Leaf Spot
This fungal disease causes small, angular, water-soaked lesions on leaves and pods. Severe infections defoliate plants and reduce yields. It thrives in wet, warm conditions.
Control Measures
- Improve air circulation and reduce humidity through proper spacing
- Rotate with non-susceptible crops for at least 2 seasons
- Apply fungicides like copper oxychloride weekly starting early in crop
- Remove and destroy heavily infected plant debris
Bean Rust
Rust fungus causes powdery, reddish-brown pustules on leaves that release spores. Heavily infected leaves become brittle and die off. It spreads rapidly in humidity and warm weather.
Control Measures
- Remove alternate host weeds like nightshade
- Apply sulfur-based fungicides preventively
- Use resistant varieties like Rosecoco, Kablanketi
- Rotate beans with non-hosts like maize, onions, carrots
Root Rot
A number of soil-borne fungi cause root rot in beans. Infected plants show stunted growth, yellowing leaves and poor yields. The fungi persist in the soil attacking successive bean crops.
Control Measures
- Avoid excessive soil moisture by planting on ridges or raised beds
- Apply Trichoderma-based fungal antagonists to soil
- Use crop rotation with non-hosts and allow 4-5 seasons before re-planting beans
- Apply fungicides like carbendazim and thiophanate-methyl before planting
Bean Common Mosaic Virus (BCMV)
This virus causes distorted leaf shape, mottling, curling and stunting of plants. It is spread by several species of aphids. Infection early in crop growth can wipe out yields.
Control Measures
- Remove alternate weed hosts like black nightshade
- Control aphids aggressively to prevent spread
- Rogue out and destroy infected plants immediately
Yellow Beans Yield per Acre
According to Benson Chanzu, a Business Leadership graduate from Daystar University;
“I have always been passionate about farming but when wheat and potatoes failed me, I almost gave up but the training opened a fresh chapter for me. I wanted something that could earn me money within a short period, and yellow beans were the best choice.”
Chanzu
- With optimum growing conditions and farming practices, yellow beans can yield 1500-2500 kg per acre.
- Plant population is a major determinant of productivity. Close spacing of 220,000 – 250,000 plants per acre gives maximum yields.
- The harvest index i.e. ratio of pods to total plant biomass ranges from 25-45%.
- Yields are higher during rainy seasons compared to irrigated plants in drier conditions.
- Optimal soil fertility, pest and disease control boosts bean yields significantly.
- Intercropping with maize reduces bean yields per acre but provides two crops from the same space.
Ready Market for Yellow Beans in Kenya
Yellow beans have good domestic and export demand offering farmers lucrative returns:
Locally, they are purchased by individuals, green grocers, supermarkets, hotels and institutions. Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, and Kisumu provide major urban markets. There is strong regional export demand in the EAC and COMESA countries, especially Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania and DR Congo.
Kenya’s dry yellow beans are also exported to the Middle East, Europe and Asia. Contract farming arrangements with processors and exporters provide a guaranteed market for commercial growers. Fair trade organizations connect smallholder farmers to niche ethical markets in Europe and America.
Value addition through canning, freezing and drying increases shelf life and marketability. Organizations like One Acre Fund help smallholders access inputs, training and markets. Online platforms like Twiga Foods and DigiFarm ease access to buyers and fair pricing for produce.
Some current indicative yellow bean prices in Kenya:
- Farm gate price – Ksh 60-100 per kg
- Retail market price – Ksh 120-200 per kg
- Export price – Ksh 180-300 per kg
Key Takeaway
Yellow beans are a versatile crop with excellent potential for cultivation in Kenya. Both climbing and bush varieties can produce impressive yields with proper farm management.
With optimum practices, yields of 2,000 kg per acre or more can be achieved from yellow beans. At current market prices, this translates to over Ksh 200,000 in income from a single acre.
The expanding local and export demand offers a ready market for yellow bean produce. As a fast-maturing, nitrogen-fixing crop, yellow beans also fit well into smallholder crop rotations.
