This reporting period covers the harvest of late maize and soybean, followed by a fallow period or sowing of wheat. The CropWatch indices reveal average conditions for this region.

Spatial distribution of rainfall profiles showed a quite clear North-South pattern. Rainfall in the North was stable and near average. A pattern located in the center and south of Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay showed negative anomalies during April and positive anomalies during May, June and July. On the contrary, in the South, including most of Argentina's agricultural area, a pattern with a positive anomaly during April, followed by a quite stable and near average values pattern was observed. In addition, the dynamics of VHI categories moved from near 20% of the area with moderate and severe drought conditions in April to less than 10% in July, suggesting a general improvement in conditions at the end of the period.

Temperature profiles were grouped along five areas distributed along a latitude gradient.  Nevertheless, it is difficult to find clear differences among profiles. In general, they showed positive anomalies at the end of April and in the middle of June and July. In the South (red and blue areas), a positive anomaly was observed during May, while Northern regions showed a negative anomaly in this month.

BIOMSS showed a radial pattern with higher-than-average conditions in the center of the region (Chaco, North Pampas and Paraguay) and lower-than-average conditions in the extreme North, South and East. A high portion of the region was planted according to the CALF index, with the exception of sites in the Center and South West Pampas.

Maximum VCI showed a mixed pattern along the region and particularly in the Pampas, showing high variability in crop growing conditions with average VCIx at 0.86. High VCIx values were observed in the North and Center of the Brazilian agricultural area, Subtropical Highlands and part of Argentina's Pampas. Lowest VCIx values were observed in the Center of the Pampas and East Chaco in Argentina and in Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil which coincided with the uncropped fields in Figure f.

In summary, several indices showed near-average conditions with some positive anomalies in rain and temperature at specific times. Drought conditions were eased starting mid-May thanks to the above or near average rainfall.

Figure 2.3 South America MPZ: Agroclimatic and agronomic indicators, April to July 2020

Note: For more information about the indicators, see Annex B.