Divisi
When to plant Teff in Al Darb al-Ahmar
Cairo, Egypt
Teff (Eragrostis tef) is a fine, tufted grass that carries the smallest grain of any cereal in the world — seed almost as fine as dust.
| Fit | Favourable |
|---|---|
| When to plant | 28 Oct 2026 – 2 Mar 2027 opens in 4 weeks |
| Expected harvest | about 3.3 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 27 Dec 2026 to 30 Jun 2027, depending on the planting date |
| Ready to harvest | 60–120 days after planting |
| Work it takes | 88–174 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 Al Darb al-Ahmar is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 2 Mar 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Al Darb al-Ahmar
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 76% |
For teff in Al Darb al-Ahmar, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 76%. 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 season in Al Darb al-Ahmar
| Rain in a typical year | About 24 mm |
|---|---|
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 24 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 | This area is smaller than the climate grid can resolve, so it reads as one kind of ground. |
last updated 18 September 2026
What teff needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | sandy loam, loam, clay loam or clay |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 5.2 and 5.8 |
| Feed it most with | phosphorus, nitrogen, zinc, sulphur and boron |
What it takes to grow teff in Al Darb al-Ahmar
| Planting material | About 3,000,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 99 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 33 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 82 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 | 88–174 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a teff 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.
Grow Teff with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Al Darb al-Ahmar 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 teff grow well in Al Darb al-Ahmar?
Al Darb al-Ahmar rates as favourable for teff.
When should I plant teff in Al Darb al-Ahmar?
Typically 28 Oct 2026 to 2 Mar 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Al Darb al-Ahmar, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.