Divisi
When to plant Sunflower in Illela
Sokoto, Nigeria
Known here as furen rana
Sunflower is a tall, upright plant — about 1–2 m, higher than your head — that carries one big flower head on top.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 5 Jun 2027 – 25 Jun 2027 opens in 35 weeks | 8 Oct 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 1.8 t/ha | about 3.4 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 3 Sep 2027 to 2 Nov 2027, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 90–130 days after planting | |
| Work it takes | 74–155 days per hectare, by hand | |
| Rain meets its needs | 94% | |
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 25 Jun 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Illela is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 25 Jun 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Illela
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 96% |
For sunflower in Illela, rain and temperature is the tightest of the three at 88%. 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 2027 season in Illela
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | June 2027 to September 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 468 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 468 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.3 °C over the growing months. Heat makes the same rain do less, so a dry spell bites sooner: do not plant late, and shade or mulch what you can. |
| 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 92% of this area. |
| 92% | 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 480 mm · June to September |
|---|---|
| 8% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 115 growing days · about 500 mm · June to October |
last updated 16 September 2026
Temperature holds back about 25% of yield here.
What sunflower needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sandy loam, loam or clay loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 6.0 and 7.5 |
| Rain it needs | About 400–750 mm across the season |
| Spacing | 60 cm between rows, 25 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | boron, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium |
What it takes to grow sunflower in Illela
| Planting material | About 50,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 81 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 36 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 144 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 | 74–155 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a sunflower 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 Sunflower with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Illela 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.
Sunflower in nearby districts
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 sunflower grow well in Illela?
Illela rates as favourable for sunflower.
When should I plant sunflower in Illela?
Typically 5 Jun 2027 to 25 Jun 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Illela, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
