Divisi
When to plant Cassava in Turkana West
Turkana, Kenya
Known here as muhogo
Cassava is a hardy, woody shrub grown for its fat, starchy roots — a food that grows where little else will.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant (establish) | 9 Jun 2027 – 29 Jun 2027 opens in 36 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 12.3 t/ha | about 26.9 t/ha |
| Bearing cycle | 240–730 days per crop once the plant is established. Planting to the first harvest takes longer than one cycle. | |
| Work it takes | 103–180 days per hectare, by hand | |
| Rain meets its needs | 48% | |
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 29 Jun 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
No seasonal forecast reaches Turkana West yet, so these dates follow the rains it usually gets rather than this year's.
Planting after 29 Jun 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Turkana West
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 96% |
For cassava in Turkana West, 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 Turkana West
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | March 2027 to September 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 522 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. |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +2.9 °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 11% of this area. |
| 82% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season no rain-fed season · about 440 mm |
|---|---|
| 11% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 141 growing days · about 540 mm · March to September |
| 6% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 191 growing days · about 620 mm · March to October |
last updated 30 September 2026
Limited water holds back about 60% of yield here.
What cassava needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sand or sandy loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 4.5 and 6.5 |
| Spacing | 100 cm between rows, 100 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | potassium and zinc |
What it takes to grow cassava in Turkana West
| Planting material | About 10,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 60 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 31 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 86 kg per hectare |
| In the shops | A 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 work | 103–180 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a cassava 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 Cassava with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Turkana West 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.
Cassava 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 cassava grow well in Turkana West?
Turkana West rates as favourable for cassava.
When should I plant cassava in Turkana West?
Typically 9 Jun 2027 to 29 Jun 2027, typical season.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Turkana West, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
