Divisi
When to plant Teff in Chililabombwe
Copperbelt, Zambia
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.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 16 Feb 2027 – 25 Feb 2027 opens in 20 weeks | 2 Mar 2027 – 9 Aug 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 2.3 t/ha | about 3.5 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 17 Apr 2027 to 25 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 meets its needs | 82% | |
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 16 Feb 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Chililabombwe is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 25 Feb 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Chililabombwe
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For teff in Chililabombwe, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 88%. 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 2026/27 season in Chililabombwe
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | October 2026 to April 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,149 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 1,149 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.2 °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 full main crop, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | One kind of ground throughout. |
last updated 16 September 2026
Limited water holds back about 20% of yield here.
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 Chililabombwe
| Planting material | About 3,000,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 69 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 23 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 57 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.
What to watch for
Grow Teff with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Chililabombwe 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.
Teff 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 teff grow well in Chililabombwe?
Chililabombwe rates as favourable for teff.
When should I plant teff in Chililabombwe?
Typically 16 Feb 2027 to 25 Feb 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Chililabombwe, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
