The reporting period covers the main growing stage for wheat and the beginning of planting for maize, soybean and rice. For the whole country, rainfall showed a -20 % negative anomaly, TEMP showed a slight negative anomaly of -0.1°C, RADPAR showed a positive anomaly of +2 %, while BIOMSS showed no anomaly. CALF showed a 12% reduction and maximum VCI value was 0.62. The annual cropping intensity was also 6% below average. Low rainfall was the cause for the poor performances of several agronomic indices.

The rainfall temporal profile showed in general lower-than-average values, except for late October, when it was above average. The NDVI profile showed quite lower-than-average values during the entire period. This could be a result of delayed planting and emergence of summer crops. TEMP profile showed variations between positive and negative anomalies following a near-average trend. 

Spatial distribution of NDVI profiles showed negative anomalies in most of the Argentine agricultural areas. Stronger negative anomalies (blue and red areas) were observed in the main agricultural belt in Pampas as well as in Chaco and Subtropical Highlands. Profiles with positive anomalies (yellow and dark green areas) were much less representative and were observed in South Pampas. At the beginning more than 24 % of the area experienced average or above-average conditions. However, crops condition over 16% of the cropland deteroriated to below-average conditions at the end of the period mainly due to the water deficit. The weekly proportions of different drought categories showed better conditions at the beginning than at the end, changing from near 20 % of area with minor to severe drought conditions, to near 40 % of area with minor to severe drought conditions mainly due to the below average rainfall.

Regional analysis

CropWatch subdivides Argentina into eight agro-ecological zones (AEZ) based on cropping systems, climatic zones, and topography; they are identified by numbers on the NDVI departure cluster map. During this monitoring period, most crops were grown in the following four agro-ecological zones: Chaco, Mesopotamia, Humid Pampas, and Subtropical highlands. The other four agro-ecological zones were less relevant for this period.

Mean values of rainfall showed negative anomalies for Chaco (-19 %), Mesopotamia (-29 %) and Pampas (-20 %), while Subtropical highlands showed a positive anomaly of +9 %. TEMP showed positive anomalies in Chaco (+0.7° C), Mesopotamia (+0.4° C) and Subtropical highlands (+0.5° C). Pampas showed a negative TEMP anomaly of -0.2° C. RADPAR showed slight positive anomalies in the four zones: Chaco (+1 %), Mesopotamia (+2 %), Subtropical highlands (+2 %) and Humid Pampas (+2 %). BIOMSS showed positive anomalies in Chaco (+6 %), Mesopotamia (+2 %) and Subtropical highlands (+8 %) and negative anomaly in Humid Pampas (-5 %). CALF was far from complete showing negative anomalies in Chaco (-18 %), Humid Pampas (-12 %) and Subtropical highlands (-24 %). In contrast, Mesopotamia showed no anomaly with almost complete CALF. The annual cropping intensity for the four zones all shew below average situation, ranging from 1% to 6% lower than 5YA. VCIx showed quite low values for all of these regions:  Chaco (0.45), followed by Mesopotamia (0.67), Pampas (0.64) and the Subtropical highlands (0.57).

NDVI profiles for Chaco and Subtropical highlands showed lower-than-average values during all the reporting period. Pampas showed slight negative anomalies during August and September, with no or positive anomalies at the beginning and end of this period. Mesopotamia showed lower-than-average NDVI values, except for early July.

VCIx showed also a poor generalized pattern with values lower than 0.5 in Pampas agricultural belt, Chaco and Subtropical Highlands. Better conditions were observed in Mesopotamia and South Pampas.

In summary, several indices showed poor growing and planting conditions in relevant agricultural areas, like rainfall and NDVI anomalies and very low VCIx values in northwestern Pampas agricultural belt and Chaco. In addition, quite low CALF values were observed in these regions. They reflect poor conditions also for the planting of summer crops.

(a) Phenology of major crops

(b) Time series of rainfall profile

(c) Time series of temperature profile

(d) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI

(f) Proportion of VHIm categories compared with 5YA

Table 3.5. Argentina’s agroclimatic indicators by sub-national regions, current season's values and departure from 15YA, July – October 2020

Table 3.6. Argentina’s agronomic indicators by sub-national regions, current season’s values and departure from 15YA/5YA, July – October 2020

(g) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI (Humid Pampas)

(h) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI (Chaco)

(i) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI (Mesopotamia)

(j) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI (Subtropical highlands)

(k) Spatial NDVI patterns compared to 5YA (left) and NDVI profiles (right)

(l) Maximum VCI