Divisi
When to plant Rice in Alkufra
East, Libya
Rice is a grass that lives on water.
| Fit | Favourable |
|---|---|
| When to plant | 10 Feb 2027 – 9 Aug 2027 opens in 19 weeks |
| Expected harvest | about 5.2 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 11 May 2027 to 6 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-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 11 Apr 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Alkufra is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 9 Aug 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Alkufra
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 96% |
For rice in Alkufra, 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 Alkufra
| Rain in a typical year | About 1 mm |
|---|---|
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 1 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 55% of this area. |
| 55% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth no rain-fed season |
|---|---|
| 45% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season no rain-fed season |
last updated 17 September 2026
Temperature holds back about 20% 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 Alkufra
| Planting material | About 600,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 78 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 26 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 114 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 Alkufra 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 Alkufra?
Alkufra rates as favourable for rice.
When should I plant rice in Alkufra?
Typically 10 Feb 2027 to 9 Aug 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Alkufra, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.