Divisi
When to plant Pigeon pea in Nzambi
Kouilou, Congo
Pigeon pea (red gram) is a hardy, woody bush bean that sends a taproot two metres deep, so it keeps growing and podding long after other crops burn off in the dry.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant (establish) | 2 Sep 2026 – 30 Jan 2027 open now | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 1.7 t/ha | same |
| Bearing cycle | 90–300 days per crop once the plant is established. Planting to the first harvest takes longer than one cycle. | |
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 10 Jan 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Nzambi leans dry, so these dates sit later than the long-run average. Planting on the date you are used to risks germinating into a false start and having to replant.
Planting after 30 Jan 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Nzambi
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 45% |
For pigeon pea in Nzambi, 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 2026/27 season in Nzambi
| When the rains are expected | September 2026 to July 2027 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,571 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning dry — January, February, October, November and December 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. |
| What that supports | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year, 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 91% of this area. |
| 91% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 306 growing days · about 1,560 mm · September to July |
|---|---|
| 4% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 301 growing days · about 1,570 mm · September to July |
| 3% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 297 growing days · about 1,610 mm · September to July |
last updated 16 September 2026
Sloping ground holds back about 20% of yield here.
What pigeon pea needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sand, sandy loam, loam, clay loam or clay soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 5.0 and 7.0 |
| Spacing | 75 cm between rows, 30 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | phosphorus and sulphur |
What it takes to grow pigeon pea in Nzambi
| Planting material | About 75,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 102 kg per hectare — the crop fixes most of this itself; inoculated seed matters more than a bag |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 20 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 42 kg per hectare |
| In the shops | A basal compound at planting — Compound D, or an NPK blend — covers the phosphate and potash. Skip the nitrogen top dressing; inoculated seed does that job. |
These are the nutrients a pigeon pea 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 Pigeon pea with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Nzambi 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.
Pigeon pea 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 pigeon pea grow well in Nzambi?
Nzambi rates as favourable for pigeon pea.
When should I plant pigeon pea in Nzambi?
Typically 2 Sep 2026 to 30 Jan 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Nzambi, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
