Climbing beans are high yielding giving four times harvest compared to ordinary beans in Kenya

Climbing beans are high yielding giving four times harvest compared to ordinary beans

climbing beans are high yielding leguminous plants which are perfect for food security and agribusiness. The venture is a worthy undertaking as they will yield up to 22 bags per acre while ordinary beans yield about 5-6 bags per acre. Grown at a spacing of 1×1 metre 2 seeds per whole, one acre of climbing beans will hold 8000plants. Each plant can yields a minimum of ¼ Kg beans resulting to total yield of about  2200kg kg  from one acre. Sold at a cost of 60/= per kg, 22000×60=132, 000/= gross revenue per acre in 3 months only. The estimated cost of production and returns are shown below:

Item	Quantity	Unit cost ksh	Total cost ksh
Output	2200 kgs	60	132,000
Climbing beans Seed	25 kg	500	12,500
Fertilizer	1bags	3000	3000
Land preparation	10 md	300	3000
Stakes	4000	1	4000
Planting & staking	20 md	300	6000
Weeding	10 md	300	3000
Insecticide	300 ml	500	500
Spraying	2md	300	600
Harvesting	3 md	300	900
Threshing and winnowing	8 md	300	2400
Storage bags	40	40	1600
Transport	40 bags	100	4000
Total cost of production			41,500
Gross margin/ Returns in 3 months			90,500

Plant at the beginning of the rains using a compound fertilizer or inoculate with Rhizobium soil fertility bacteria. The plant largely grows vertically saving land space and is Ideal solution to land scarcity problem. Climbing beans growing calls for staking the crop for support with 2 metres long stakes as is the case in hybrid tomatoes farming. Canes from overgrown Napier grass can effectively be used to avoid destroying trees and avoid interfering with environment conservation. This means a farmer planning to plant climbing beans can leave napier grass from the previous season to overgrow and produce supporting stakes. Climbing beans have numerous advantages as they are leguminous and improves the soil fertility through nitrogen fixation. This makes it a good crop to include in the rotation program of the farm. The legume requires a shorter cooking period in addition to being tastier than the local beans.

Get good returns from growing sweet melons fruits in Kenya

The practice of growing sweet melons fruits in Kenya is catching up quite fast. The agribusiness pays well as one kilo of the fruit retails at an average of Sh100. Average melon weight is 2kgs.The current demand is quite impressive due to increased awareness of their health benefits. Though the demand is high but the supply is low supply making it a good agribusiness opportunity for. Sweet melon fruit reduces oxidative stress, is helpful for diabetes patients, anti-inflammatory, Controls blood pressure due to high content of potassium.

Benefits of sweet melons fruit include weight management due to lower fruit sugar in comparison with other fruits. They also contain collagen which helps keep your skin healthy as well as healing wounds. Soil sampling and analysis is advisable before planting to determine the soil suitability and get specific fertilizer advice.

Warm sunny climate with high humidity is required for growth. Fertile, moisture retentive, deep and well-drained soil is best. Growing sweet melons fruits in Kenya require application organic fertilizers, which can be can be in form of cow or chicken manure. Compound fertilizer should also be applied.

Three to four weeks before planting, prepare the ground by removing weeds and incorporating organic matter and a modest dressing of compound fertilizer. Water well and cover in clear polythene for a week before planting to warm the soil in case of cold areas. Pinch out the growing point at the fifth leaf to encourage side shoots, then retain the strongest four shoots and remove others.

Pest and diseases affecting sweet melon are spider mites and powdery are white powdery mildew deposit over the leaf surface . 

Harvest when they produce the characteristic melon fragrance and fruits start to crack near the stem.Unlike the commonly known watermelons, sweet melons fruit is yellowish on the outside, with a faintly sweet smell and greenish soft flesh. The main customers are residents of suburbs of Kileleshwa , Lavington, and Kitisuru, and the crop makes good business. The Asian community located in Parklands and Ngara areas are also big clients.