When to plant African nightshade in Pariang

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African nightshade

Unity, South Sudan

African nightshade (Solanum scabrum — mnavu, managu, osuga, nsugga, umsobo) is one of Africa's most-loved traditional leafy vegetables: soft, dark, iron- and vitamin-rich leaves that cook down fast and sell steadily at market.

African nightshade in Pariang, rain-fed and with irrigation
Measure Rain-fed With irrigation
Fit Favourable
When to plant 21 Jun 2027 – 21 Jul 2027 opens in 38 weeks 30 Jun 2027 – 20 Jul 2027
Expected harvest about 17.7 t/ha about 25.0 t/ha
Harvest From 20 Aug 2027 to 18 Nov 2027, depending on the planting date
Ready to harvest 60–120 days after planting
Work it takes 103–191 days per hectare, by hand
Rain meets its needs 99%

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.

If you only get one chance to plant, aim for around 1 Jul 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.

This season's rainfall outlook for Pariang leans dry, so these dates sit later than the long-run average. Planting on the date you are used to risks germinating into a false start and having to replant.

Planting after 21 Jul 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.

What decides this in Pariang

Rain and temperature 96%
The soil 96%
The lie of the land 96%

For african nightshade in Pariang, rain and temperature is the tightest of the three at 96%. This one is fixed. It is why the planting window above is where it is — hitting those dates is the whole of your control here.

The 2027 season in Pariang

Rainy seasonsOne each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it
When the rains are expectedMay 2027 to October 2027
Rain in a typical yearAbout 609 mm
This season's rainLeaning dry — September looks 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 +1.5 °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 coversOne kind of ground throughout.

last updated 16 September 2026

Frost and pest pressure hold back about 15% of yield here.

What african nightshade needs to grow here

Soil it likes well-drained sandy loam, loam or clay loam soil
Soil sourness (pH) Happiest between pH 6.0 and 6.5
Spacing 40 cm between rows, 20 cm between plants
Feed it most with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium

What it takes to grow african nightshade in Pariang

Planting materialAbout 125,000 plants per hectare
Nitrogen (N)About 71 kg per hectare
Phosphate (P₂O₅)About 14 kg per hectare
Potash (K₂O)About 88 kg per hectare
In the shopsA basal compound at planting — Compound D, or an NPK blend — covers the phosphate and potash. A nitrogen top dressing — urea or AN — goes on once the crop is established.
Hand work103–191 days per hectare, by hand

These are the nutrients a african nightshade crop of that size carries off the field. What you actually apply depends on what your soil already holds — which is what a soil test, or the app's field records, tell you.

What to watch for

Pest/disease risk — manageableSoil pH below the crop's optimumEarly-maturing — escapes late drought

Grow African nightshade with a plan, not a guess

Everything above describes Pariang as a whole — 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

African nightshade in nearby districts

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

Will african nightshade grow well in Pariang?

Pariang rates as favourable for african nightshade.

When should I plant african nightshade in Pariang?

Typically 21 Jun 2027 to 21 Jul 2027, forecast-adjusted.

Is this exact for my own field?

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

Also worth considering in Pariang

Keep going

Timing is one question. What the crop needs at every stage, what attacks it and where to sell it are the others.