The crop can be grown under a wide range of climatic conditions ranging from warm to hot low lying areas of the Shire Valley with marginal rainfall of less than 700mm to the highlands of Nyika and Vipya Plateaus with more than 2,000mm rainfall; and soil types ranging from sandy loams to heavy clay soils with sufficient drainage
Mbewuyi imalimidwa mmadera a nyengo zosiyanasiyana kuyambira kotentha pang'ono mpaka madera otentha kwambiri aku chigwa cha Shire komwe mvula imagwa yosafika 700mm mpaka kumadera okwera aku Nyika ndi Viphya komwe mvula imagwa mpaka 2000mm; ndiponso mudothi losiyanasiyana kuyambira lamchenga mpaka la dongo lomwe silimasunga madzi kwambiri