Divisi
When to plant Maize in Derashe
South Ethiopia, Ethiopia
Known here as በቆሎ (bäqollo)
C4 annual grass, wind- and cross-pollinated — buy hybrid seed fresh each season and isolate seed crops / sweetcorn from field maize by ~200 m.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 5 Feb 2027 – 6 Apr 2027 opens in 18 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 4.4 t/ha | about 10.0 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 5 Jun 2027 to 24 Aug 2027, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 120–140 days after planting | |
| Work it takes | 82–165 days per hectare, by hand | |
| Rain meets its needs | 99% | |
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 Feb 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Derashe is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 6 Apr 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Derashe
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 45% |
For maize in Derashe, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 45%. 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 2027 season in Derashe
| Rainy seasons | Two each year — two chances to plant |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | August 2027 to December 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 592 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 592 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter 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 supports | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | 4 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 26% of this area. |
| 26% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 175 growing days · about 600 mm · August to December |
|---|---|
| 18% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 308 growing days · about 1,150 mm · February to December |
| 18% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 204 growing days · about 710 mm · August to December |
| 10% | 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 970 mm · February to December |
last updated 16 September 2026
Sloping ground holds back about 35% of yield here.
What maize needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sandy loam, loam or clay loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 5.5 and 7.5 |
| Spacing | 75 cm between rows, 25 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | sulphur, zinc and magnesium |
What it takes to grow maize in Derashe
| Planting material | About 53,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 70 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 35 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 26 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 | 82–165 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a maize 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 Maize with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Derashe 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.
Maize 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 maize grow well in Derashe?
Derashe rates as favourable for maize.
When should I plant maize in Derashe?
Typically 5 Feb 2027 to 6 Apr 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Derashe, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
