What grows in TUTUME

CENTRAL, Botswana

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Map showing the boundary of TUTUME

The 2026/27 season in TUTUME

Rainy seasonsOne each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it
When the rains are expectedNovember 2026 to March 2027
Rain in a typical yearAbout 468 mm
This season's rainLeaning dry — January, February and December look short of rain. Plant at the early end of the window, favour quicker and more drought-tolerant crops, and keep moisture in the soil: mulch, and weed early.
This season's heatHotter than usual — about +2.1 °C over the growing months. Heat makes the same rain do less, so a dry spell bites sooner: do not plant late, and shade or mulch what you can.
What that supportsenough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season
Ground this covers2 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 86% of this area.
Agro-ecological zones covering this area
86% enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 112 growing days · about 430 mm · November to March
14% too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season no rain-fed season · about 350 mm · December to March

last updated 17 September 2026

What grows in TUTUME

86% lowland, semi-arid, warm — 37 crops

14% lowland, arid, warm — 33 crops

Rain-fed. These dates are worked out from each place's own rainfall, for a field watered by the season — with irrigation a window can open earlier, close later, or come round more than once a year. Check your own field under What grows, or get the Divisi app for a calendar dated to your farm.

What grows in TUTUME with irrigation

These need water applied — rain alone will not carry them here. The dates are the windows their own water supply allows.

What Divisi would not plant in TUTUME

Every crop in the catalogue is scored against this district, not only the ones that work — so the list above is a decision rather than a shortlist. These are the rest, with what ruled each one out.

  • Irish potato Only in patches — clears in part of this area, not across any one zone
  • Mango Only in patches — clears in part of this area, not across any one zone
  • Moringa Only in patches — clears in part of this area, not across any one zone
  • Cashew Only in patches — clears in part of this area, not across any one zone
  • Swiss chard Only in patches — clears in part of this area, not across any one zone
  • Sweet potato Only in patches — clears in part of this area, not across any one zone
  • Cassava Moderate — Water
  • Avocado Unsuitable
  • Banana Unsuitable — Water
  • Beetroot Unsuitable — Temperature
  • Cabbage Unsuitable — Temperature
  • Chickpea Unsuitable — Temperature
  • Cocoa Unsuitable
  • Coconut Unsuitable
  • Taro Unsuitable — Water
  • Arabica coffee Unsuitable — Water
  • Robusta coffee Unsuitable
  • Enset Unsuitable
  • Garlic Unsuitable — Temperature
  • Ginger Unsuitable — Water
  • Grapefruit Unsuitable — Water
  • Guava Unsuitable — Water
  • Lemon Unsuitable — Water
  • Lime Unsuitable — Water
  • Mandarin Unsuitable — Water
  • Niger seed Unsuitable — Temperature
  • Oil palm Unsuitable
  • Passion fruit Unsuitable — Temperature
  • Pineapple Unsuitable — Water
  • Sugarcane Unsuitable — Water
  • Sweet orange Unsuitable — Water
  • Sweet pepper Unsuitable — Temperature
  • Tea Unsuitable
  • Teff Unsuitable — Temperature
  • Turmeric Unsuitable — Water
  • Wheat Unsuitable — Temperature
  • Yam Unsuitable — Water

Divisi scored 74 crops against this district's own ground; 37 came back without a sowing date.

Plan the season, not just check it

The crops and dates above are read at cells spread across TUTUME, and the map colours which kind of ground each part of it is. Your own soil, slope and rainfall will shift the dates — the Divisi app works them out for your field, and dates each job that follows.

Or check your field first

This calendar moves

Planting windows shift with the forecast. Leave your email and we'll send what changed, and a note when planting time nears — a couple of emails a month at most.

Frequently asked questions

What crops grow well in TUTUME?

Bambara groundnut, Egusi melon, Pearl millet, Common bean, Green gram all rate well in TUTUME — scored against its own rainfall, soil and terrain rather than a national average.

When should I plant Bambara groundnut in TUTUME?

In TUTUME the window for Bambara groundnut runs 2 Dec 2026 to 22 Dec 2026.

Is there a farming app that works in TUTUME?

Divisi does. It reads TUTUME's own rainfall, soil and terrain rather than a national average, so the planting dates and crop shortlist on this page are the same ones the app works out for a field here — then dates each job for that field, and keeps working with no signal.

Is this exact for my own field?

No — these are readings taken across TUTUME, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.

Keep going

The district's answer is one question. What each crop needs, what attacks it and where to sell it are the others.