Divisi
When to plant Cowpea in Sidama
Ethiopia
Cowpea (nyemba, kunde, niébé, black-eyed pea) is a tough, drought-beating legume for warm country.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 17 Feb 2027 – 21 Mar 2027 opens in 20 weeks | 29 Aug 2026 – 2 Mar 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 1.5 t/ha | about 2.5 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 18 Apr 2027 to 19 Jul 2027, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 60–120 days after planting | |
| Work it takes | 50–105 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 21 Mar 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for Sidama leans wet. Plant at the early end of the window, and make sure water can drain off the field — a wet year does more damage through waterlogging than through the rain itself.
Planting after 21 Mar 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Sidama
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 96% |
For cowpea in Sidama, 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 2026 season in Sidama
| When the rains are expected | February 2026 to December 2026 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,243 mm in a typical farming district |
| Across its districts | From about 826 mm in the driest of 5 districts to about 1,455 mm in the wettest |
| This season's rain | Leaning wet — 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 heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.4 °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 a long crop, or two in a year, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | 5 kinds of ground. The season below is one typical farming district's, not a figure for the whole of this area. |
| 30% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 319 growing days · about 1,350 mm · February to December |
|---|---|
| 26% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 312 growing days · about 1,200 mm · February to December |
| 20% | 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 1,100 mm · February to December |
| 9% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 262 growing days · about 960 mm · March to November |
| 9% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 260 growing days · about 830 mm · March to November |
last updated 17 September 2026 · from all 5 areas within it
What cowpea needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sand, sandy loam or loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 5.5 and 6.5 |
| Spacing | 75 cm between rows, 25 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | phosphorus and potassium |
What it takes to grow cowpea in Sidama
| Planting material | About 90,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 90 kg per hectare — the crop fixes most of this itself; inoculated seed matters more than a bag |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 18 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 33 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 | 50–105 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a cowpea 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 Cowpea with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Sidama 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.
Cowpea 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 cowpea grow well in Sidama?
Sidama rates as favourable for cowpea.
When should I plant cowpea in Sidama?
Typically 17 Feb 2027 to 21 Mar 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Sidama, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
