Divisi
When to plant Yam in Wolayita
South Ethiopia, Ethiopia
Yam is a climbing vine that grows one big food tuber underground over a long 7-11 month season.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 6 Feb 2027 – 7 Apr 2027 opens in 18 weeks | 10 Jun 2026 – 28 Oct 2026 |
| Expected harvest | about 16.7 t/ha | about 22.4 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 5 Aug 2027 to 2 Mar 2028, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 180–330 days after planting | |
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 26 Feb 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Wolayita is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 7 Apr 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Wolayita
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 45% |
For yam in Wolayita, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 45%. 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 Wolayita
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | February 2026 to November 2026 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,318 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 1,318 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 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 46% of this area. |
| 46% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 277 growing days · about 1,250 mm · February to November |
|---|---|
| 36% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 263 growing days · about 970 mm · March to November |
| 8% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 283 growing days · about 1,060 mm · March to December |
| 7% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 304 growing days · about 1,310 mm · February to December |
last updated 16 September 2026
Sloping ground holds back about 35% 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 Wolayita
| 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 Wolayita 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 Wolayita?
Wolayita rates as favourable for yam.
When should I plant yam in Wolayita?
Typically 6 Feb 2027 to 7 Apr 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Wolayita, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
