Divisi
When to plant Rice in KGALAGADI NORTH
KGALAGADI, Botswana
Rice is a grass that lives on water.
| Fit | Favourable |
|---|---|
| When to plant | 29 Aug 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 open now |
| Expected harvest | about 5.4 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 27 Nov 2026 to 31 May 2027, depending on the planting date |
| Ready to harvest | 90–150 days after planting |
| Work it takes | 69–107 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 8 Oct 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for KGALAGADI NORTH is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 1 Jan 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in KGALAGADI NORTH
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 96% |
For rice in KGALAGADI NORTH, the soil is the tightest of the three at 76%. This is the one you can actually move. Lime raises a sour soil, manure and compost lift what it holds, and both work within a season or two — money spent here changes the answer.
The season in KGALAGADI NORTH
| Rain in a typical year | About 336 mm |
|---|---|
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 336 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| What that supports | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation, warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth |
| Ground this covers | 2 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 85% of this area. |
| 85% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth no rain-fed season · about 300 mm |
|---|---|
| 13% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season no rain-fed season · about 340 mm |
last updated 17 September 2026
What rice needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | loam, clay loam or clay |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 5.5 and 7.0 |
| Spacing | 20 cm between rows, 20 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | nitrogen and zinc |
What it takes to grow rice in KGALAGADI NORTH
| Planting material | About 600,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 81 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 27 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 119 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 | 69–107 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a rice 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 Rice with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes KGALAGADI NORTH 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 rice grow well in KGALAGADI NORTH?
KGALAGADI NORTH rates as favourable for rice.
When should I plant rice in KGALAGADI NORTH?
Typically 29 Aug 2026 to 1 Jan 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across KGALAGADI NORTH, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.