When to plant Green gram in Alebtong

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Green gram

Northern, Uganda

Known here as pojo · ndengu · mchooko

Green gram (also called mung bean or ndengu) is a fast, warm-weather bean that goes from seed to harvest in just 60–90 days — quick enough to dodge a dry spell and to slot in after your maize, sorghum or millet.

Green gram in Alebtong, rain-fed and with irrigation
Measure Rain-fed With irrigation
Fit Favourable
When to plant 4 Mar 2027 – 10 Jul 2027 opens in 22 weeks 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027
Expected harvest about 1.5 t/ha about 2.0 t/ha
Harvest From 3 May 2027 to 8 Oct 2027, depending on the planting date
Ready to harvest 60–90 days after planting
Work it takes 60–124 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 20 Mar 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.

This season's rainfall outlook for Alebtong is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.

Planting after 10 Jul 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.

What decides this in Alebtong

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

For green gram in Alebtong, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 88%. 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 season in Alebtong

Rainy seasonsOne each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it
When the rains are expectedMarch 2026 to December 2026
Rain in a typical yearAbout 1,130 mm
This season's rainRain close to usual — plan around about 1,130 mm falling roughly when it always does
This season's heatHotter 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 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 92% of this area.
Agro-ecological zones covering this area
92% enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 286 growing days · about 1,170 mm · March to December
8% enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 282 growing days · about 1,150 mm · March to December

last updated 17 September 2026

Frost and pest pressure hold back about 15% of yield here.

What green gram needs to grow here

Soil it likes well-drained loam or sandy loam soil
Soil sourness (pH) Happiest between pH 6.0 and 7.5
Spacing 37 cm between rows, 10 cm between plants
Feed it most with phosphorus

What it takes to grow green gram in Alebtong

Nitrogen (N)About 60 kg per hectare — the crop fixes most of this itself; inoculated seed matters more than a bag
Phosphate (P₂O₅)About 15 kg per hectare
Potash (K₂O)About 27 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 work60–124 days per hectare, by hand

These are the nutrients a green gram 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 — manageable

Grow Green gram with a plan, not a guess

Everything above describes Alebtong 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

Green gram 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 green gram grow well in Alebtong?

Alebtong rates as favourable for green gram.

When should I plant green gram in Alebtong?

Typically 4 Mar 2027 to 10 Jul 2027, forecast-adjusted.

Is this exact for my own field?

No — these are readings taken across Alebtong, 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 Alebtong

Keep going

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