Divisi
When to plant Yam in Likoma
Northern, Malawi
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 | Moderate | |
| When to plant | 2 Nov 2026 – 22 Nov 2026 opens in 5 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 7.5 t/ha | about 15.8 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 1 May 2027 to 18 Oct 2027, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 180–330 days after planting | |
| Rain meets its needs | 95% | |
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 2 Nov 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Likoma leans dry, so these dates sit later than the long-run average. Planting on the date you are used to risks germinating into a false start and having to replant.
Planting after 22 Nov 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Likoma
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 45% |
For yam in Likoma, 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 2026/27 season in Likoma
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | November 2026 to April 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,194 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning dry — January and February look short of rain. Plant at the early end of the window, favour quicker and more drought-tolerant crops, and keep moisture in the soil: mulch, and weed early. |
| 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 one short crop, and only if timed to it, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | 3 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 50% of this area. |
| 50% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 189 growing days · about 1,210 mm · November to May |
|---|---|
| 38% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 158 growing days · about 1,190 mm · November to April |
| 12% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 158 growing days · about 1,180 mm · November to April |
last updated 17 September 2026
Limited water holds back about 50% 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 Likoma
| Planting material | About 10,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 28 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 8 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 43 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 Likoma 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 Likoma?
Likoma rates as moderate for yam.
When should I plant yam in Likoma?
Typically 2 Nov 2026 to 22 Nov 2026, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Likoma, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
