Divisi
When to plant Bambara groundnut in East Shewa
Oromia, Ethiopia
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 | 19 Apr 2027 – 19 May 2027 opens in 29 weeks | 17 Nov 2026 – 10 Feb 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 1.6 t/ha | same |
| Harvest | From 18 Jul 2027 to 5 Nov 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 meets its needs | 93% | |
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 9 May 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for East Shewa is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 19 May 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in East Shewa
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 76% |
For bambara groundnut in East Shewa, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 76%. 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 East Shewa
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | March 2027 to October 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 798 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 798 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter 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 supports | enough rain for one full main crop, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | 4 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 34% of this area. |
| 34% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 209 growing days · about 800 mm · March to October |
|---|---|
| 34% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 177 growing days · about 750 mm · April 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 96 growing days · about 580 mm · June to September |
| 5% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 227 growing days · about 950 mm · March to October |
last updated 16 September 2026
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 East Shewa
| Planting material | About 125,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 80 kg per hectare — the crop fixes most of this itself; inoculated seed matters more than a bag |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 16 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 40 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 East Shewa 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 East Shewa?
East Shewa rates as favourable for bambara groundnut.
When should I plant bambara groundnut in East Shewa?
Typically 19 Apr 2027 to 19 May 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across East Shewa, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
