Which are the best wheat varieties in Kenya?

Are you searching the best wheat variety to grow in Kenya? This post will give you a list of the latest released wheat seeds. Whether you want higher harvests, income or a cheap cost of production, you will find this guide useful. We will give each variety’s maturity period, optimal production range and grain yield among other attributes for your seed selection.

According to the KEPHIS national wheat variety list, Kenya has 45 registered wheat products. They were released between 1975 and 2020. In this list, we will give you the latest 12 wheat varieties released after 2015. They include the Hornbill, Deer, Weaverbird, Peacock, Falcon, Kasuku and Jacana among others. These recent wheat varieties are better and superior than earlier varieties in following areas;

• Higher yield potential in tons per hectare than the earlier versions
• Cheaper to grow since they have a resistant to common wheat pests and diseases such as stem and yellow rust.
• Most of those wheat seed varieties are drought tolerant and can mature under strained rainfall conditions.

Wheat Variety	Altitude (Masl)	Maturity days	Tons/Ha.
Kenya Hornbill	1800-2100	110-120	7.5
Kenya Deer	Below 1800	100-110	7.8
Kenya Weaverbird	1800-2100	110-120	8.0
Kenya Peacock	2100-2400	120-130	8.2
Kenya Falcon	2100-2400	100-115	8.0
Kenya songbird	1800-2100	110-120	8.2
Kenya Pelican	2100-2400	120-130	8.5
KS Wheat 04	1800-2500	110	3.85
Kenya Kasuku	800-2400	110-120	7-8.0
Kenya Jacana	800-2400	110-130	6.5-8.0
Kenya Impala	1800-2400	90-100	7-8.0
Kenya Hyrax	1800-2400	100-120	6.5-7.5

We will discuss other features of these varieties in detail below;

Kenya Hornbill

Are you looking for the best wheat variety for areas with acidic soils in Kenya? The Kenya hornbill variety is tolerant to soil acidity. It does well in areas with an altitude of 1800-2100 masl. Examples are Njoro, Rongai, Endebees, Kinamba, Moiben. The variety matures in 110-120 days after maturity and can give you 7.5 tons/ha.

• White hard grain
• High grain protein content
• Good for home baking (e.g. Chapatis),
• High adult plant resistance to yellow rust
• Moderate resistance to stem rust
• Tolerant to soil acidity

Kenya Deer

Are you looking for the best wheat variety for low altitude wheat growing areas? The Kenya deer wheat variety is suitable for areas below 1800masl. Such areas include Lower Narok, Lanet and Naivasha.

The Kenya deer is a fast maturing wheat variety. It is ready in 100-110 days after planting. Its yield potential is 7.8 tons/ha.

• White hard grain
• Good for home baking (e.g. Chapatis),
• High adult plant resistance to stem and yellow rusts
• Early maturity

Kenya Weaverbird

The Kenya weaverbird is a good wheat variety in areas of Njoro, Rongai, Endebees and Kinamba. It does well in an altitude of 1800-2199 masl. It’s a medium maturing variety and takes 110-120 days from planting. It has a yield potential of 8 tons/ha.

• Amber –to – red colored hard grain
• Good bread making quality
• High adult plant resistance to stem rusts
• Moderate to high tillering ability with well filled spikes
• Good ability to tolerate drought, partly due to the variety’s high foliage glaucosity/waxiness

Kenya Peacock

Kenya Peacock is a late maturing wheat variety. It matures in 120-130 days after planting. The variety has a yield potential of 8.2 tons per hectare. The variety is a highland variety doing best in altitude areas of 2100-2400 masl such as Mau Narok & Timau

• Amber –to – red colored hard grain
• High grain protein
• Excellent bread making quality
• High Adult Plant Resistance to both Stem and Yellow Rusts

Kenya Falcon

The Kenya Falcon wheat variety matured in 110-115 days. Under good agronomic management, it will give you 8 tons per hectare. The seed performs best under higher altitudes of 2100-2400 masl such as Mau Narok & Timau.

• Red colored hard grain
• Good bread making quality
• Excellent seedling
• Adult plant resistance to stem rust
• Highly resistant to yellow rust
• Long, well filled spikes
• Medium Maturity

Kenya songbird

Kenya songbird is medium maturity wheat variety. Released in 2016, the variety takes between 110 and 120 days to mature. It has a yield potential of 8.2 tons per hectare under proper management.

• Amber –to – red colored hard grain
•  High grain protein
• Good bread making quality 
• Moderate Adult Plant Resistance to both Stem and yellow rusts.

Looking where to grow the Kenya Songbird wheat variety? The seed dies best in an altitude of 1800-2100 masl. Such wheat growing areas include; Njoro, Rongai, Endebees, Kinamba, Upper Narok.

Kenya Pelican

Kenya Pelican is a 2016 wheat variety. It grows best in higher altitudes of 2100-2400 masl such as Mau Narok and Timau. It’s a late maturing variety and will take 129-130 days to mature. Under proper management, Kenya Pelican can give you 8.5 tons per hectacre.

• Red colored hard grain
• Good bread making quality
• High adult plant resistance to stem and yellow rusts

KS Wheat 04

 KS wheat o4 is a spring type variety that was introduced in 2018. It can give you 7 Tillers per plant under goof management. The variety matures in 110 days and can yield an average of 3.85 tons per hectare.

• Good tillering ability
•   Average height 90cm
•  Good stem rust resistance 2/5 (APR to Sr & Yr)
•  Red -coloured hard grains
•  Good milling and bread baking (i.e. whole grain bread)
•  Resistant to lodging

Which are the best areas to grow KS Wheat 04? This variety does best in an altitude of 1800-2500 masl, these areas include Timau, Narok, Nanyuki, Nakuru, Uasin Gishu and Trans Nzoia.

Kenya Kasuku

Kenya Kasuku is a wheat variety released in 2019 by KALRO Njoro. Irs a medium maturing variety that takes 110-120 days to harvest. Under proper crop management, this variety will give you a yield of 7-8 tons per hectare. In warmer weather, the Kasuku wheat variety is susceptible to “isolate TTKTT” and requires integrated management.

• Red hard grain
• Good milling and baking qualities
• Long well filled spikes
• is moderately resistant to original Ug99 races.
• Semi dwarf; resistant to lodging

Where to grow the Kenya Kasuku wheat variety? It does best in areas with an Altitude of 800 – 2400 masl. These are in AEZ: LH2, LH3, UH2,UH3 Examples of such wheat growing areas are Njoro, Mau – Narok, Upper Narok, Timau, Oljororok, Kinamba and Moiben.

Kenya Jacana

Kenya Jacana wheat variety was released in 2019. It’s a medium to slightly late variety. It matures in 110-130 days and can give you 6.5-8 tons per hectare. On the downside, Kenya Jacana wheat variety is susceptible to “isolate TTKTT” In warmer weather conditions. It will require an integrated management that may be costly.

• Red hard grain
• Good milling and baking qualities
• Moderately resistant to original Ug99 races.
• High tillering ability
• Semi dwarf; resistant to lodging

Where to grow Kenya Jacana wheat variety? It is suitable in areas with an altitude of 800 – 2400 masl. These are AEZ: LH2, LH3, UH2,UH3. Examples of such wheat growing areas are; Njoro, Mau – Narok, Upper Narok, Timau, Oljororok, Kinamba and Moiben.

Kenya Impala

Kenya impala is a 2020 wheat seed release. It’s an early maturing wheat variety and is ready in 90-100 days. Under proper management it can give you 7.0 to 8.0 tons per hectare. Other key attributes of the Kenya Impala wheat are;

• White Hard Grain
•  Good milling and baking qualities
•  Resistant to yellow rust
• Moderate to high resistance to stem rust subject to seasonal disease pressure
• Resistant to lodging
• Well filled and closed spikes

Where to grow Kenya Impala? The variety is suitable in areas of an altitude of 1800-2400 masl. These are in AEZ: LH2, LH3, UH2 and UH3. Example of such wheat growing areas are: Njoro, Moiben, Lower Narok, Timau and Oljororok

Kenya Hyrax

The Kenya Hyrax wheat variety was released in 2020. It’s a slightly early to medium variety with a maturity period of 110-120 days. It can give you 6.5 to 7.5 tons per hectare under proper care.

• Red Hard Grain
• Good milling and baking qualities
• Resistant to yellow rust
• Moderate to high resistance to stem rust subject to seasonal disease pressure
• High tillering ability

Where to grow the Kenya Hyrax wheat in Kenya? In areas with an altitude of1800 -2400 masl. These are agro-ecological zones AEZ: LH2, LH3, UH2, and UH3. Such wheat growing areas are; Njoro, Moiben, Narok, Timau and Oljororok

Other varieties

The list above focusses on varieties that were released in 2016-2020. Some of other earlier versions you may need to consider given their higher grain yields (over 5 tons) are provided below. To learn more about them refer to the KEPHIS national crops variety list.

Wheat Variety	Tons/Ha	Special Attribute (comments)
Eagle 10	6.0-7.0	Very early maturing hence suitable for drought prone areas like Mweiga,
Kenya Kingbird	6.0	Has high test weight and flour conversion
Kenya Tae	6.5	May be well adopted by farmers who use straw for livestock feed.
Kenya Sunbird	6.8	Suitable for whole grain chapatis and baking.
Kenya Korongo	7.0	Recommended for dry areas like Rongai and Naivasha
Kenya Robin	7.0-8.0	Early maturing and widely adopted to do well in low to high altitude of 1800-2700 masl (lower Narok, Timau and Mau Narok
Kenya Hawk 12	7.5	May be good for areas that receive rain during harvesting like Mau Narok and Timau
Kenya Wren	8.1	Tolerant to acidic soils in 2100-2400 masl