By Francis Ndungu

Lucy Wairimu harvested 180kg of beans from just 2kg of seed after planting Kalro’s Waithera variety with proper spacing, foliar feeds, and pest control – six times more than she used to get from her local beans.

“I used to harvest under 30kg from the same area,” said Lucy, who farms in Kiambogo, Gilgil. “But this time, I got two full 90kg bags, and the difference was unbelievable.”

Lucy got the Waithera seed from Kalro during a farmer training session and followed the instructions closely. She prepared her land to a fine tilth, mixed NPK fertilizer into the soil, and planted two seeds per hole at a spacing of 50cm by 10cm.

“I didn’t use DAP because it’s slow-release and changes the soil pH,” she said. “I wanted the best conditions for the beans.”

The beans germinated within a week, and Lucy began foliar feeding 10 days later, applying a starter foliar fertilizer as well as an insecticide to prevent bean fly, which damages internal plant tissues early in growth.

“Bean fly lays eggs inside the stem. If it’s not managed early, the plant becomes stunted and gives nothing,” said Lucy.

From then on, she scouted the crop daily, spraying copper-based fungicide for blight and rust, sulphur for powdery mildew, and a second round of foliar feed and insecticides 11 days later to promote strong vegetative growth and protect against leaf miners and aphids.

By day 30, Lucy had done her third weeding and applied her third foliar spray, containing potassium, boron, calcium, and manganese, which are key nutrients for flowering and podding.

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“That foliar spray helped the plants hold their flowers and form pods without abortion, which happens a lot when beans lack minerals,” she said.

By day 40, the pods had formed and started to yellow. Two weeks later, they were dry and ready for harvest. Lucy sold the beans locally by the kilo and said her neighbours are now planning to adopt the new variety too.

“The beans taste good and don’t cause stomach problems like the local ones,” she said.

According to Kalro trainers, one acre of Waithera can take about 45kg of seed, spaced at either 50cm by 10cm or 45cm by 15cm, giving a population of 80,000 plants. The crop can be planted in holes or furrows, with NPK applied at 50kg per acre.

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