Divisi
When to plant Pigeon pea in Lufwanyama
Copperbelt, Zambia
Known here as nandolo
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) | 9 Oct 2026 – 29 Oct 2026 opens in 1 week | 29 Aug 2026 – 8 Oct 2026 |
| Expected harvest | about 1.3 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 meets its needs | 98% | |
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 9 Oct 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Lufwanyama is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 29 Oct 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Lufwanyama
| Rain and temperature | 76% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For pigeon pea in Lufwanyama, 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 2026/27 season in Lufwanyama
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | October 2026 to April 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,154 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 1,154 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.2 °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 | One kind of ground throughout. |
last updated 16 September 2026
Frost and pest pressure hold back about 40% 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 Lufwanyama
| Planting material | About 75,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 78 kg per hectare — the crop fixes most of this itself; inoculated seed matters more than a bag |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 16 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 32 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 Lufwanyama 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 Lufwanyama?
Lufwanyama rates as favourable for pigeon pea.
When should I plant pigeon pea in Lufwanyama?
Typically 9 Oct 2026 to 29 Oct 2026, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Lufwanyama, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
