When to plant Groundnut in Ntoroko

Save as PDF

Groundnut

Western, Uganda

Known here as karanga · njugu

Groundnut (peanut) is a low, leafy legume that does something no other crop in your field does: it flowers above the ground, but then each fertilised flower sends a little stalk — a peg — down into the soil, and the nut grows and fills underground.

Groundnut in Ntoroko, rain-fed and with irrigation
Measure Rain-fed With irrigation
Fit Favourable
When to plant 12 Jul 2027 – 14 Sep 2027 opens in 41 weeks 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027
Expected harvest about 2.6 t/ha about 3.7 t/ha
Harvest From 10 Oct 2027 to 11 Feb 2028, depending on the planting date
Ready to harvest 90–150 days after planting
Work it takes 71–126 days per hectare, by hand
Rain meets its needs 88%

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 28 Jul 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.

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

Planting after 14 Sep 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.

What decides this in Ntoroko

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

For groundnut in Ntoroko, 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 Ntoroko

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 826 mm
This season's rainRain close to usual — plan around about 826 mm falling roughly when it always does
This season's heatHotter than usual — about +1.1 °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 covers4 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 44% of this area.
Agro-ecological zones covering this area
44% enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 291 growing days · about 840 mm · March to December
40% enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 309 growing days · about 950 mm · February to December
7% enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 352 growing days · about 1,270 mm · February to January
7% enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 283 growing days · about 770 mm · March to December

last updated 17 September 2026

What groundnut needs to grow here

Soil it likes well-drained sandy loam or sandy soil
Soil sourness (pH) Happiest between pH 5.9 and 7.0
Spacing 45 cm between rows, 9 cm between plants
Feed it most with phosphorus, potassium and calcium

What it takes to grow groundnut in Ntoroko

Planting materialAbout 247,000 plants per hectare
Nitrogen (N)About 143 kg per hectare — the crop fixes most of this itself; inoculated seed matters more than a bag
Phosphate (P₂O₅)About 26 kg per hectare
Potash (K₂O)About 78 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 work71–126 days per hectare, by hand

These are the nutrients a groundnut 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 Groundnut with a plan, not a guess

Everything above describes Ntoroko 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

Groundnut 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 groundnut grow well in Ntoroko?

Ntoroko rates as favourable for groundnut.

When should I plant groundnut in Ntoroko?

Typically 12 Jul 2027 to 14 Sep 2027, forecast-adjusted.

Is this exact for my own field?

No — these are readings taken across Ntoroko, 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 Ntoroko

Keep going

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