Divisi
When to plant Pigeon pea in Mutasa
Manicaland, Zimbabwe
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) | 22 Oct 2026 – 1 Nov 2026 opens in 3 weeks | 1 Jan 2027 – 30 Jun 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 1.2 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 | 81% | |
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 22 Oct 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Mutasa 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 1 Nov 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Mutasa
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For pigeon pea in Mutasa, rain and temperature is the tightest of the three at 88%. 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 Mutasa
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | October 2026 to June 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,068 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning dry — January, February, 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. |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.4 °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 | 4 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 67% of this area. |
| 67% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 220 growing days · about 1,000 mm · October to June |
|---|---|
| 18% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 228 growing days · about 1,010 mm · October to June |
| 6% | enough rain for one full main crop; cool for part of the year, so frost sets the planting date 234 growing days · about 1,160 mm · October to June |
| 5% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 171 growing days · about 740 mm · October to April |
last updated 17 September 2026
Frost and pest pressure hold back about 30% 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 Mutasa
| Planting material | About 75,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 72 kg per hectare — the crop fixes most of this itself; inoculated seed matters more than a bag |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 14 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 30 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 Mutasa 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 Mutasa?
Mutasa rates as favourable for pigeon pea.
When should I plant pigeon pea in Mutasa?
Typically 22 Oct 2026 to 1 Nov 2026, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Mutasa, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
