Divisi
When to plant Niger seed in Igbo-Etiti
Enugu, Nigeria
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 | 29 May 2027 – 12 Jul 2027 opens in 34 weeks | 1 Jan 2027 – 30 Sep 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 0.5 t/ha | same |
| Harvest | From 27 Aug 2027 to 9 Dec 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 29 May 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Igbo-Etiti is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 12 Jul 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Igbo-Etiti
| Rain and temperature | 76% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 76% |
For niger seed in Igbo-Etiti, rain and temperature is the tightest of the three at 76%. This one is fixed. It is why the planting window above is where it is — hitting those dates is the whole of your control here.
The 2026 season in Igbo-Etiti
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | March 2026 to November 2026 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,620 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 1,620 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| 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 | 2 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 86% of this area. |
| 86% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 259 growing days · about 1,620 mm · March to November |
|---|---|
| 14% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 260 growing days · about 1,660 mm · March to November |
last updated 1 October 2026
Temperature holds back about 45% 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 Igbo-Etiti
| Nitrogen (N) | About 18 kg per hectare |
|---|---|
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 7 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 8 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 Igbo-Etiti 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 niger seed grow well in Igbo-Etiti?
Igbo-Etiti rates as favourable for niger seed.
When should I plant niger seed in Igbo-Etiti?
Typically 29 May 2027 to 12 Jul 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Igbo-Etiti, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
