Divisi
When to plant Yam in Mali
Known here as igname
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 | 1 May 2027 – 21 May 2027 opens in 30 weeks | 22 Mar 2026 – 2 Mar 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 14.9 t/ha | about 23.2 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 28 Oct 2027 to 15 Apr 2028, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 180–330 days after planting | |
| Rain meets its needs | 97% | |
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 11 May 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Mali is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 21 May 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Mali
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 96% |
For yam in Mali, 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 2027 season in Mali
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | June 2027 to October 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 517 mm in a typical farming district |
| Across its districts | From about 14 mm in the driest of 160 districts to about 1,082 mm in the wettest |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 517 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.6 °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 | 4 kinds of ground. The season below is one typical farming district's, not a figure for the whole of this area. |
| 67% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season no rain-fed season · about 60 mm · July to September |
|---|---|
| 26% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 124 growing days · about 600 mm · June to October |
| 4% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth no rain-fed season · about 10 mm |
| 3% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 206 growing days · about 1,010 mm · April to November |
last updated 30 September 2026 · from all 160 areas within it
Limited water 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 Mali
| Planting material | About 10,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 56 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 16 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 86 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 Mali 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 Mali?
Mali rates as favourable for yam.
When should I plant yam in Mali?
Typically 1 May 2027 to 21 May 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Mali, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
