When to plant Yam in Kigamba

Cankuzo, Burundi

Yam is a climbing vine that grows one big food tuber underground over a long 7-11 month season.

Yam in Kigamba, rain-fed and with irrigation
Measure	Rain-fed	With irrigation
Fit	Favourable
When to plant	14 Sep 2026 – 14 Oct 2026 open now	1 May 2027 – 9 Aug 2027
Expected harvest	about 11.6 t/ha	same
Harvest	From 13 Mar 2027 to 9 Sep 2027, depending on the planting date
Ready to harvest	180–330 days after planting
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 14 Sep 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.

This season's outlook for Kigamba leans wet. Plant at the early end of the window, and make sure water can drain off the field — a wet year does more damage through waterlogging than through the rain itself.

Planting after 14 Oct 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.

What decides this in Kigamba

Rain and temperature	88%
The soil	76%
The lie of the land	76%

For yam in Kigamba, the soil is the tightest of the three at 76%. This is the one you can actually move. Lime raises a sour soil, manure and compost lift what it holds, and both work within a season or two — money spent here changes the answer.

The 2026/27 season in Kigamba

Rainy seasons	One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it
When the rains are expected	September 2026 to June 2027
Rain in a typical year	About 826 mm
This season's rain	Leaning wet — January, February, October, November and December look heavier than usual. Make sure water can drain off the field; a wet year does more damage through waterlogging and disease than through the rain itself.
This season's heat	Hotter than usual — about +1.1 °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 a long crop, or two in a year, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season
Ground this covers	4 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 36% of this area.

Agro-ecological zones covering this area
36%	enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 276 growing days · about 870 mm · September to June
18%	enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 240 growing days · about 810 mm · September to May
18%	enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 275 growing days · about 850 mm · September to June
16%	enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 266 growing days · about 800 mm · September to June

last updated 16 September 2026

Limited water holds back about 30% of yield here.

What yam needs to grow here

Soil it likes	well-drained sandy loam or loam soil
Soil sourness (pH)	Happiest between pH 5.5 and 7.0
Spacing	100 cm between rows, 100 cm between plants
Feed it most with	nitrogen and potassium

What it takes to grow yam in Kigamba

Planting material	About 10,000 plants per hectare
Nitrogen (N)	About 44 kg per hectare
Phosphate (P₂O₅)	About 13 kg per hectare
Potash (K₂O)	About 67 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.

These are the nutrients a yam 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

Pest/disease risk — manageable

Grow Yam with a plan, not a guess

Everything above describes Kigamba 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.

Or check your field first

Yam in nearby districts

How to grow Yam, step by step Land preparation to harvest — every task, in order

Frequently asked questions

Will yam grow well in Kigamba?

Kigamba rates as favourable for yam.

When should I plant yam in Kigamba?

Typically 14 Sep 2026 to 14 Oct 2026, forecast-adjusted.

Is this exact for my own field?

No — these are readings taken across Kigamba, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.