Divisi
When to plant Chickpea in El Mehara
El Bayadh, Algeria
Chickpea is a knee-high, branching legume grown for its round, protein-rich seeds — the pea behind roasted snacks, stews and hummus.
| Fit | Favourable |
|---|---|
| When to plant | 21 Jan 2027 – 10 Feb 2027 opens in 16 weeks |
| Expected harvest | about 3.0 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 21 Apr 2027 to 10 Jul 2027, depending on the planting date |
| Ready to harvest | 90–150 days after planting |
| Work it takes | 56–114 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 21 Jan 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for El Mehara is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 10 Feb 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in El Mehara
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For chickpea in El Mehara, 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 season in El Mehara
| Rain in a typical year | About 198 mm |
|---|---|
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 198 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| What that supports | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation, warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth |
| Ground this covers | 2 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 94% of this area. |
| 94% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth no rain-fed season · about 190 mm |
|---|---|
| 6% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; cool for part of the year, so frost sets the planting date no rain-fed season · about 190 mm |
last updated 15 September 2026
What chickpea needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained loam, clay loam or clay soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 6.0 and 8.0 |
| Spacing | 30 cm between rows, 10 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | phosphorus |
What it takes to grow chickpea in El Mehara
| Nitrogen (N) | About 120 kg per hectare — the crop fixes most of this itself; inoculated seed matters more than a bag |
|---|---|
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 15 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 45 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 | 56–114 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a chickpea 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 Chickpea with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes El Mehara 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.
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 chickpea grow well in El Mehara?
El Mehara rates as favourable for chickpea.
When should I plant chickpea in El Mehara?
Typically 21 Jan 2027 to 10 Feb 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across El Mehara, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.