Divisi
When to plant Bambara groundnut in Catumbela
Benguela, Angola
Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea) is one of Africa's own beans — a tough, low, bushy plant, often grown by the women of the household on the poorest, sandiest land where maize would fail.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 12 Jan 2027 – 1 Feb 2027 opens in 15 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 2.0 t/ha | about 1.4 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 12 Apr 2027 to 21 Jul 2027, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 90–170 days after planting | |
| Work it takes | 77–157 days per hectare, by hand | |
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 22 Jan 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Catumbela is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 1 Feb 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Catumbela
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 96% |
For bambara groundnut in Catumbela, 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 2026/27 season in Catumbela
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | November 2026 to May 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 558 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 558 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +0.8 °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 supports | enough rain for one full main crop, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | 3 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 91% of this area. |
| 91% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 208 growing days · about 680 mm · October to May |
|---|---|
| 4% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 173 growing days · about 530 mm · November to May |
| 4% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 214 growing days · about 830 mm · September to May |
last updated 16 September 2026
Frost and pest pressure hold back about 15% of yield here.
What bambara groundnut needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sand or sandy loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 5.0 and 6.5 |
| Spacing | 40 cm between rows, 15 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | phosphorus and calcium |
What it takes to grow bambara groundnut in Catumbela
| Planting material | About 125,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 100 kg per hectare — the crop fixes most of this itself; inoculated seed matters more than a bag |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 20 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 50 kg per hectare |
| In the shops | A basal compound at planting — Compound D, or an NPK blend — covers the phosphate and potash. Skip the nitrogen top dressing; inoculated seed does that job. |
| Hand work | 77–157 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a bambara groundnut 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
Grow Bambara groundnut with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Catumbela 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.
Bambara groundnut 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 bambara groundnut grow well in Catumbela?
Catumbela rates as favourable for bambara groundnut.
When should I plant bambara groundnut in Catumbela?
Typically 12 Jan 2027 to 1 Feb 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Catumbela, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
