Divisi
When to plant Cowpea in Kazo
Western, Uganda
Known here as kunde
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 | 9 Sep 2026 – 11 Oct 2026 open now | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 1.5 t/ha | about 2.4 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 8 Nov 2026 to 8 Feb 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-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 25 Sep 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for Kazo 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 11 Oct 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Kazo
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 60% |
For cowpea in Kazo, 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 2026/27 season in Kazo
| Rainy seasons | Two each year — two chances to plant |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | July 2026 to January 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 808 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning wet — January, February, 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 +1.2 °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 full main crop, 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 79% of this area. |
| 79% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 253 growing days · about 730 mm · July to December |
|---|---|
| 14% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 276 growing days · about 800 mm · July to January |
| 5% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 254 growing days · about 730 mm · July to December |
last updated 17 September 2026
Sloping ground holds back about 20% of yield here.
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 Kazo
| 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 Kazo 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 Kazo?
Kazo rates as favourable for cowpea.
When should I plant cowpea in Kazo?
Typically 9 Sep 2026 to 11 Oct 2026, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Kazo, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
