Divisi
When to plant Sorghum in Berseba
Karas, Namibia
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 | 20 Jul 2026 – 10 Feb 2027 open now |
| Expected harvest | about 5.0 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 18 Oct 2026 to 30 Jun 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 1 Jan 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Berseba is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 10 Feb 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Berseba
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 96% |
For sorghum in Berseba, rain and temperature is the tightest of the three at 96%. 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 season in Berseba
| Rain in a typical year | About 175 mm |
|---|---|
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 175 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 91% of this area. |
| 91% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth no rain-fed season · about 130 mm |
|---|---|
| 7% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth no rain-fed season · about 170 mm |
last updated 17 September 2026
Frost and pest pressure hold back about 15% 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 Berseba
| Planting material | About 100,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 20 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 9 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 24 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 Berseba 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 Berseba?
Berseba rates as favourable for sorghum.
When should I plant sorghum in Berseba?
Typically 20 Jul 2026 to 10 Feb 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Berseba, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.