Divisi
When to plant Chickpea in Ambalavao
Haute Matsiatra, Madagascar
Chickpea is a knee-high, branching legume grown for its round, protein-rich seeds — the pea behind roasted snacks, stews and hummus.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 19 Apr 2027 – 28 Apr 2027 opens in 29 weeks | 10 Jun 2027 – 30 Jun 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 1.1 t/ha | about 3.0 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 18 Jul 2027 to 25 Sep 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 meets its needs | 86% | |
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 19 Apr 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
No seasonal forecast reaches Ambalavao yet, so these dates follow the rains it usually gets rather than this year's.
Planting after 28 Apr 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Ambalavao
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 45% |
For chickpea in Ambalavao, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 45%. 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 Ambalavao
| 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 950 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 +1.6 °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 | 4 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 44% of this area. |
| 44% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 171 growing days · about 930 mm · November to April |
|---|---|
| 40% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 183 growing days · about 1,010 mm · October to April |
| 9% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 321 growing days · about 1,360 mm · October to September |
| 3% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 281 growing days · about 1,260 mm · October to August |
last updated 17 September 2026
Sloping ground holds back about 35% 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 Ambalavao
| Nitrogen (N) | About 44 kg per hectare — the crop fixes most of this itself; inoculated seed matters more than a bag |
|---|---|
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 6 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 16 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 Ambalavao 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 Ambalavao?
Ambalavao rates as favourable for chickpea.
When should I plant chickpea in Ambalavao?
Typically 19 Apr 2027 to 28 Apr 2027, typical season.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Ambalavao, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
