Divisi
When to plant Rice in Santiago Maior
Santa Cruz, Cabo Verde
Rice is a grass that lives on water.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Moderate | |
| When to plant | 17 Jul 2027 – 6 Aug 2027 opens in 41 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 1.6 t/ha | about 5.5 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 15 Oct 2027 to 3 Jan 2028, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 90–150 days after planting | |
| Work it takes | 69–107 days per hectare, by hand | |
| Rain meets its needs | 45% | |
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 27 Jul 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Santiago Maior 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 6 Aug 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Santiago Maior
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 60% |
For rice in Santiago Maior, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 60%. 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 2027 season in Santiago Maior
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | August 2027 to November 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 309 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning dry — September looks 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 one short crop, and only if timed to it, 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 67% of this area. |
| 67% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 97 growing days · about 340 mm · July to November |
|---|---|
| 33% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 88 growing days · about 300 mm · August to October |
last updated 16 September 2026
Limited water holds back about 60% of yield here.
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 Santiago Maior
| Planting material | About 600,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 24 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 8 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 35 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 Santiago Maior 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 Santiago Maior?
Santiago Maior rates as moderate for rice.
When should I plant rice in Santiago Maior?
Typically 17 Jul 2027 to 6 Aug 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Santiago Maior, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
