Divisi
When to plant Bambara groundnut in Sao Joao Baptista
Brava, Cabo Verde
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 | Moderate | |
| When to plant | 6 Jul 2027 – 26 Jul 2027 opens in 40 weeks | 2 Mar 2026 – 28 Oct 2026 |
| Expected harvest | about 0.6 t/ha | same |
| Harvest | From 4 Oct 2027 to 12 Jan 2028, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 90–170 days after planting | |
| Work it takes | 77–157 days per hectare, by hand | |
| Rain meets its needs | 77% | |
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 6 Jul 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Sao Joao Baptista 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 26 Jul 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Sao Joao Baptista
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 30% |
For bambara groundnut in Sao Joao Baptista, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 30%. You cannot flatten it, but you can farm it: plant along the contour rather than up and down, ridge or tie ridges to hold water on the slope, and expect shallower rooting than the crop would manage on flat ground.
The 2027 season in Sao Joao Baptista
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | July 2027 to October 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 346 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning 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. |
| What that supports | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | 2 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 75% of this area. |
| 75% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 86 growing days · about 330 mm · July to October |
|---|---|
| 25% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 86 growing days · about 330 mm · July to October |
last updated 16 September 2026
Sloping ground holds back about 65% 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 Sao Joao Baptista
| Planting material | About 125,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 30 kg per hectare — the crop fixes most of this itself; inoculated seed matters more than a bag |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 6 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 15 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 Sao Joao Baptista 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 Sao Joao Baptista?
Sao Joao Baptista rates as moderate for bambara groundnut.
When should I plant bambara groundnut in Sao Joao Baptista?
Typically 6 Jul 2027 to 26 Jul 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Sao Joao Baptista, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
