The reporting period covers the main growth phase for early maize, early soybean, and rice, as well as the planting of late maize and late soybean and wheat harvest.

For the whole country, rainfall showed a negative departure by 2%. The rainfall profile showed more negative than positive anomalies with a higher proportion of negative anomalies at the beginning. Temperature was 0.1°C below average and RADPAR was 1% lower than average. Close-to-average weather conditions resulted in a 1% drop in BIOMSS compared to the 15YA. CALF showed a slight reduction of 1% and Maximum VCI was 0.76. Overall, the agronomic indicators showed a slight reduction in the production potential.

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. 

For the whole country, the crop condition development graph based on NDVI showed negative anomalies throughout the reporting period. The same pattern with negative anomalies was observed in Chaco, Mesopotamia and Subtropical highlands. Pampas showed a different pattern with average and slight positive anomalies in October and November and negative anomalies since December.

Rainfall of Humid Pampas and Mesopotamia were 13% and 18% below average respectively, while Chaco and Subtropical highlands showed positive anomalies of 10% and 22% compared with the 15YA. Slight negative TEMP anomalies were observed in Subtropical highlands (-0.3°C), Chaco (-0.1°C) and Humid Pampas (-0.2°C). A positive anomaly of 0.3°C was observed in Mesopotamia. RADPAR showed 1% negative anomalies in the four regions considered. Altogether, the resulted BIOMSS showed negative anomalies in Subtropical Highlands (-8%) and Mesopotamia (-4%). A 1% positive anomaly was observed in Chaco and average situation were detected in Humid Pampas. CALF was complete (100%) in Mesopotamia and showed no anomalies in Humid Pampas. Chaco and Subtropical highlands showed 3% negative anomalies in CALF. Maximum VCI showed regular to poor conditions with higher values in Humid Pampas (0.78), followed by Subtropical highlands (0.77), Mesopotamia (0.70) and Chaco (0.66).

Spatial distribution of NDVI profiles showed a high variability in conditions for each of the main agricultural areas; nevertheless, all the patterns showed improvements in conditions at the end of the reporting period. Chaco was dominated by a pattern with negative anomalies during the entire period (light green pattern). Pampas showed areas with almost no anomalies (dark green) in the South. Areas with decreasing NDVI and a strong negative anomaly at the beginning of January were observed in Center and North West Pampas (red). Other dominating pattern for this region was a profile that changed from negative to positive anomalies (blue), mostly distributed in tropical highlands, southern Cordoba and Santa Fe. In Mesopotamia, the red pattern (with a strong anomaly in January) dominated in the South East, and the blue pattern (with constant improvements in conditions) was the most observed in the South East. Proportion of NDVI anomalies showed reduction of the areas with average and above-average conditions and increment in below-average conditions in the reporting period.

BIOMSS showed positive anomalies in most of the country mainly in Pampas and Chaco. Negative anomalies were mostly observed in South and North Mesopotamia and in Subtropical highlands.

Maximum VCI showed high variability across the country, showing high values (more than 0.8) in East, South East and Center West Pampas. Poor conditions (VCIx lower than 0.8) were dominant in North Pampas, South Mesopotamia and Chaco.

In summary, Argentina showed high variability in growing conditions and still depends on the climate conditions in the coming months.

Figure 3.7. Argentina´s crop condition, October 2020 - January 2021

a. Phenology of major crops

b. Crop condition development graph based on NDVI (Argentina)

c. Crop condition development graph based on NDVI (Chaco)

d. Crop condition development graph based on NDVI (Pampas)

e. Crop condition development graph based on NDVI (Mesopotamia)

f. Crop condition development graph based on NDVI (Subtropical highlands)

g. Spatial distribution of NDVI profiles

h. Proportion of NDVI anomaly categories compared with 5YA

g. Time series rainfall profile

h. Potential biomass departure from 15YA

i. Maximum VCI

Table 3.5. Country’s agroclimatic indicators by sub-national regions, current season's values and departure from 15YA, October 2020 – January 2021

Table 3.6 Country’s agronomic indicators by sub-national regions, current season’s values and departure from 15YA/5YA, October 2020 – January 2021