Divisi
When to plant Cowpea in Lunga
These figures also cover Samfya, where the engine returns the same answer.
Luapula, Zambia
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 | 20 Oct 2026 – 28 Jan 2027 opens in 3 weeks | 29 Aug 2026 – 10 Feb 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 1.8 t/ha | about 2.5 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 19 Dec 2026 to 28 May 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 8 Jan 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Lunga is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 28 Jan 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Lunga
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 96% |
For cowpea in Lunga, 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 2026/27 season in Lunga
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | October 2026 to April 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,259 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 1,259 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.3 °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 | 2 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 80% of this area. |
| 80% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 180 growing days · about 1,250 mm · October to April |
|---|---|
| 19% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 179 growing days · about 1,210 mm · October to April |
last updated 16 September 2026
Frost and pest pressure hold back about 15% 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 Lunga
| Planting material | About 90,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 108 kg per hectare — the crop fixes most of this itself; inoculated seed matters more than a bag |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 22 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 40 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 Lunga 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 Lunga?
Lunga rates as favourable for cowpea.
When should I plant cowpea in Lunga?
Typically 20 Oct 2026 to 28 Jan 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Lunga, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
