Divisi
When to plant Irish potato in Botro
Gbeke, Côte d'Ivoire
Known here as pomme de terre
The Irish potato (mbatatisi, ikirayi, viazi mviringo) is a cool-weather crop grown for the tubers that swell underground — it is not a grain, and it is not the same plant as sweet potato.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 8 Jul 2027 – 17 Jul 2027 opens in 40 weeks | 1 Jan 2026 – 30 Sep 2026 |
| Expected harvest | about 24.1 t/ha | same |
| Harvest | From 16 Sep 2027 to 24 Nov 2027, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 70–130 days after planting | |
| Work it takes | 110–185 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 Jul 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
No seasonal forecast reaches Botro yet, so these dates follow the rains it usually gets rather than this year's.
Planting after 17 Jul 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Botro
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For irish potato in Botro, the soil is the tightest of the three at 76%. This is the one you can actually move. Lime raises a sour soil, manure and compost lift what it holds, and both work within a season or two — money spent here changes the answer.
The 2027 season in Botro
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | March 2027 to November 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 983 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning dry — September and October look short of rain. Plant at the early end of the window, favour quicker and more drought-tolerant crops, and keep moisture in the soil: mulch, and weed early. |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.0 °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 53% of this area. |
| 53% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 263 growing days · about 990 mm · March to November |
|---|---|
| 39% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 271 growing days · about 1,020 mm · February to November |
| 6% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 266 growing days · about 1,000 mm · March to November |
last updated 30 September 2026
What irish potato needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained loam or sandy loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 5.0 and 6.5 |
| Spacing | 75 cm between rows, 28 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | potassium and magnesium |
What it takes to grow irish potato in Botro
| Planting material | About 47,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 80 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 24 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 140 kg per hectare |
| In the shops | A basal compound at planting — Compound D, or an NPK blend — covers the phosphate and potash. A nitrogen top dressing — urea or AN — goes on once the crop is established. |
| Hand work | 110–185 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a irish potato 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 Irish potato with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Botro 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.
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 irish potato grow well in Botro?
Botro rates as favourable for irish potato.
When should I plant irish potato in Botro?
Typically 8 Jul 2027 to 17 Jul 2027, typical season.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Botro, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
