When to plant Chickpea in Nyaribari Chache

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Chickpea

Kisii, Kenya

Known here as dengu

Chickpea is a knee-high, branching legume grown for its round, protein-rich seeds — the pea behind roasted snacks, stews and hummus.

Chickpea in Nyaribari Chache, rain-fed and with irrigation
Fit Favourable
When to plant 28 Oct 2026 – 6 Nov 2026 opens in 4 weeks
Expected harvest about 2.1 t/ha
Harvest From 26 Jan 2027 to 5 Apr 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 28 Oct 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.

No seasonal forecast reaches Nyaribari Chache yet, so these dates follow the rains it usually gets rather than this year's.

Planting after 6 Nov 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.

What decides this in Nyaribari Chache

Rain and temperature 96%
The soil 88%
The lie of the land 60%

For chickpea in Nyaribari Chache, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 60%. 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 2025 season in Nyaribari Chache

When the rains are expectedJanuary 2025 to December 2025
Rain in a typical yearAbout 1,602 mm
This season's rainLeaning wet — January, February, October, November and December look heavier than usual. Make sure water can drain off the field; a wet year does more damage through waterlogging and disease than through the rain itself.
This season's heatHotter than usual — about +1.0 °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 supportsenough rain for a long crop, or two in a year, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season
Ground this covers2 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 78% of this area.
Agro-ecological zones covering this area
78% enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 365 growing days · about 1,570 mm · January to December
22% enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 365 growing days · about 1,490 mm · December to December

last updated 30 September 2026

Sloping ground holds back about 20% of yield here.

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 Nyaribari Chache

Nitrogen (N)About 84 kg per hectare — the crop fixes most of this itself; inoculated seed matters more than a bag
Phosphate (P₂O₅)About 10 kg per hectare
Potash (K₂O)About 32 kg per hectare
In the shopsA 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 work56–114 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

Pest/disease risk — manageableSoil pH below the crop's optimum

Grow Chickpea with a plan, not a guess

Everything above describes Nyaribari Chache 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.

Or check your field first

Chickpea 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 chickpea grow well in Nyaribari Chache?

Nyaribari Chache rates as favourable for chickpea.

When should I plant chickpea in Nyaribari Chache?

Typically 28 Oct 2026 to 6 Nov 2026, typical season.

Is this exact for my own field?

No — these are readings taken across Nyaribari Chache, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.

Also worth considering in Nyaribari Chache

Keep going

Timing is one question. What the crop needs at every stage, what attacks it and where to sell it are the others.