When to plant Niger seed in Tiaty
Baringo, Kenya
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.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 2 Apr 2027 – 1 Jun 2027 opens in 26 weeks | 11 Apr 2027 – 10 Jun 2027 |
| Expected harvest | 0.7–0.8 t/ha | same |
| Harvest | From 1 Jul 2027 to 29 Oct 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 meets its needs | 76% | |
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 12 May 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Tiaty is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 1 Jun 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Tiaty
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For niger seed in Tiaty, 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 2027 season in Tiaty
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | March 2027 to September 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 626 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 626 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.8 °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 49% of this area. |
| 49% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 153 growing days · about 580 mm · March to August |
|---|---|
| 37% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 218 growing days · about 670 mm · March to September |
| 6% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 276 growing days · about 780 mm · March to December |
| 5% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 258 growing days · about 750 mm · March to December |
last updated 30 September 2026
Limited water holds back about 25% 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 Tiaty
| Nitrogen (N) | About 30 kg per hectare |
|---|---|
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 11 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 12 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 Tiaty 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 firstNiger 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 Tiaty?
Tiaty rates as favourable for niger seed.
When should I plant niger seed in Tiaty?
Typically 2 Apr 2027 to 1 Jun 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Tiaty, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.