Divisi
When to plant Yam in Southern
Sidama, Ethiopia
Yam is a climbing vine that grows one big food tuber underground over a long 7-11 month season.
| Fit | Favourable |
|---|---|
| When to plant | 7 Jan 2027 – 7 May 2027 opens in 14 weeks |
| Expected harvest | about 16.7 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 6 Jul 2027 to 1 Apr 2028, depending on the planting date |
| Ready to harvest | 180–330 days after planting |
| Rain meets its needs | 84% |
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 8 Mar 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for Southern 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 7 May 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Southern
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 60% |
For yam in Southern, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 60%. 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 season in Southern
| When the rains are expected | February 2026 to December 2026 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,455 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning wet — 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 +1.4 °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 45% of this area. |
| 45% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 319 growing days · about 1,500 mm · February to December |
|---|---|
| 41% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 316 growing days · about 1,360 mm · February to December |
| 7% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 292 growing days · about 1,080 mm · February to December |
| 4% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 270 growing days · about 910 mm · March to December |
last updated 16 September 2026
Limited water holds back about 20% 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 Southern
| Planting material | About 10,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 63 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 18 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 96 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
Grow Yam with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Southern 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.
Yam 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 yam grow well in Southern?
Southern rates as favourable for yam.
When should I plant yam in Southern?
Typically 7 Jan 2027 to 7 May 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Southern, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
