Divisi
When to plant Sorghum in Ain Azal
Setif, Algeria
Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor — mapfunde, mtama, amabele, mapira, dawa, mashilla) is the toughest of the grain cereals: a tall, C4 grass that keeps standing and yields when heat and dry spells have already beaten maize.
| Fit | Favourable |
|---|---|
| When to plant | 11 Apr 2027 – 10 Jun 2027 opens in 27 weeks |
| Expected harvest | about 4.2 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 10 Jul 2027 to 28 Oct 2027, depending on the planting date |
| Ready to harvest | 90–140 days after planting |
| Work it takes | 92–168 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 10 Jun 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Ain Azal is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 10 Jun 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Ain Azal
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 88% |
| The lie of the land | 60% |
For sorghum in Ain Azal, 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 2026 season in Ain Azal
| 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 | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it, cool for part of the year, so frost sets the planting date |
| Ground this covers | 3 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 46% of this area. |
| 46% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; cool for part of the year, so frost sets the planting date 116 growing days · about 360 mm |
|---|---|
| 39% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 153 growing days · about 330 mm · October to March |
| 14% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; cool for part of the year, so frost sets the planting date 139 growing days · about 340 mm · October to March |
last updated 18 September 2026
Sloping ground holds back about 20% of yield here.
What sorghum needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | sandy loam, loam, clay loam or clay |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 6.0 and 7.5 |
| Rain it needs | About 450–650 mm across the season |
| Spacing | 70 cm between rows, 15 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | nitrogen, phosphorus, zinc and sulphur |
What it takes to grow sorghum in Ain Azal
| Planting material | About 100,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 17 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 8 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 20 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 | 92–168 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a sorghum 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 Sorghum with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Ain Azal 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 sorghum grow well in Ain Azal?
Ain Azal rates as favourable for sorghum.
When should I plant sorghum in Ain Azal?
Typically 11 Apr 2027 to 10 Jun 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Ain Azal, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
