Divisi
When to plant Niger seed in Sidi Bel Abbes
Algeria
Niger seed — noug — is a tall, upright plant with bright yellow, daisy-like flowers, grown for the small black, oily seeds that are pressed into sweet, light noug cooking oil.
| Fit | Favourable |
|---|---|
| When to plant | 2 Mar 2027 – 11 Apr 2027 opens in 22 weeks |
| Expected harvest | about 0.9 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 31 May 2027 to 8 Sep 2027, depending on the planting date |
| Ready to harvest | 90–150 days after planting |
| Work it takes | 64–134 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 11 Apr 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Sidi Bel Abbes is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 11 Apr 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Sidi Bel Abbes
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 76% |
For niger seed in Sidi Bel Abbes, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 76%. 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 2026/27 season in Sidi Bel Abbes
| When the rains are expected | October 2026 to March 2027 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 404 mm in a typical farming district |
| Across its districts | From about 257 mm in the driest of 52 districts to about 413 mm in the wettest |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 404 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.6 °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, with a cool spell that slows winter growth |
| Ground this covers | 3 kinds of ground. The season below is one typical farming district's, not a figure for the whole of this area. |
| 48% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 162 growing days · about 370 mm · October to March |
|---|---|
| 40% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 99 growing days · about 260 mm |
| 7% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 165 growing days · about 380 mm · October to March |
last updated 19 September 2026 · from all 52 areas within it
Frost and pest pressure hold back about 15% of yield here.
What niger seed needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | clay, clay loam or loam |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 5.5 and 7.0 |
| Feed it most with | nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur |
What it takes to grow niger seed in Sidi Bel Abbes
| Nitrogen (N) | About 33 kg per hectare |
|---|---|
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 13 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 14 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 | 64–134 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a niger seed 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 Niger seed with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Sidi Bel Abbes 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.
Niger seed 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 niger seed grow well in Sidi Bel Abbes?
Sidi Bel Abbes rates as favourable for niger seed.
When should I plant niger seed in Sidi Bel Abbes?
Typically 2 Mar 2027 to 11 Apr 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Sidi Bel Abbes, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
