Divisi
When to plant Bambara groundnut in Soalala
Boeny, Madagascar
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 | 18 Dec 2026 – 7 Jan 2027 opens in 11 weeks | 27 Dec 2025 – 18 Sep 2026 |
| Expected harvest | about 2.0 t/ha | same |
| Harvest | From 18 Mar 2027 to 26 Jun 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 7 Jan 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Soalala 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 7 Jan 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Soalala
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For bambara groundnut in Soalala, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 88%. 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 2026/27 season in Soalala
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | November 2026 to April 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,384 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning 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 heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.3 °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 short crop, and only if timed to it, 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 85% of this area. |
| 85% | 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 1,390 mm · November to April |
|---|---|
| 11% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 182 growing days · about 1,480 mm · October to April |
| 4% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 160 growing days · about 1,320 mm · November to April |
last updated 17 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 Soalala
| 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 Soalala 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 Soalala?
Soalala rates as favourable for bambara groundnut.
When should I plant bambara groundnut in Soalala?
Typically 18 Dec 2026 to 7 Jan 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Soalala, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
