The reporting period covers the main growing season of summer crops: soybean, maize and rice, and the harvesting period of early planted summer crops. For the whole country, rainfall showed a 16% positive anomaly. Temperature was 0.5°C below average. RADPAR was 7% below average. Thanks to the above average rainfall, BIOMSS was 4% above 15YA. CALF showed almost no anomaly and Maximum VCI was on average 0.87. Overall, crop conditions improved to normal over this monitoring period. 

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. 

The main agricultural regions showed positive anomalies in RAIN: Chaco (+21%), Mesopotamia (+17%), Humid Pampas (+16%) and Subtropical Highlands (+16%). Temperature showed negative anomalies: Chaco (-0.9°C), Subtropical Highlands (-0.9°C), Mesopotamia (-0.5°C) and Pampas (-0.2°C). RADPAR showed negative anomalies: Subtropical Highlands (-11 %), Humid Pampas (-7%), Chaco (-6 %) and Mesopotamia (-5 %).

CALF was complete (100 %) for Chaco, Mesopotamia and Subtropical Highlands, while in Humid Pampas it was 99 %, but with no anomalies compared to the 5-year average. Maximum VCI showed in general good conditions, with the highest observed value in Subtropical Highlands (0.91), followed by Humid Pampas (0.89), Chaco (0.87) and Mesopotamia (0.85).

For the whole country, Crop condition development graph based on NDVI showed negative anomalies at the beginning of the period. By the end of April, conditions had improved to the levels of the 5YA. Regions showed more temporal variability than for national level. Chaco showed negative anomalies in January and March, but no anomalies in February and April. Pampas showed negative anomalies up to beginning of March, and positive anomalies in April. Mesopotamia showed negative anomalies in January and beginning March, no anomalies in February and end of March, and positive anomalies in April. Subtropical Highlands changed from negative anomalies during January and February, to no anomalies in March, and again negative anomalies in April.

Rainfall temporal profile for the whole country was similar to the 2020 profile, and in relation to the 15 years average, it showed positive anomalies during January, March and April, and negative and consecutive anomalies in late February and at the beginning March. Temperature profile showed variability below and above the 15-year average profile. Negative anomalies were mainly observed in February and end of March, while positive anomalies were observed at the end of February and beginning of March.

Maximum VCI showed in general good conditions (higher than 0.8). Highest values were observed in North and South East Pampas, as well as in Subtropical Highlands. Lower values were observed in South West and Center Pampas.

NDVI departure profiles were clustered in several homogeneous areas. The red profile, which showed near average conditions all along the period, was grouped in South East Pampas, Subtropical Highlands and East Chaco. The yellow profile showed positive anomalies during end January and February, and slight negative anomalies during April, and was observed mainly in North Pampas. The light green pattern, with negative anomalies from January to March and positive anomalies in April, spanned along Center Pampas and South Mesopotamia. The dark green pattern showed a strong negative anomaly at the beginning of January and slight positive anomalies during the rest of the period. It covered the North Pampas and Chaco. The blue pattern, with almost no anomalies up to mid of February and negative anomalies during the rest of the period, was observed over the South West Pampas boundary.

In summary, Argentina showed regular conditions. RADPAR and BIOMSS showed negative anomalies in the main agricultural regions. Despite average positive anomalies in RAIN, negative anomalies were observed from mid-February to early March when most summer crops are in grain-filling stage. The low rainfall in Feb to March resulted in minor to moderate water deficit which hampered the yield formation. Maximum VCI showed mostly good conditions, but low values were also observed in south-western Pampas.

Figure 3.7. Argentina´s crop condition, January 2021-April 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. Time series rainfall profile (Argentina)

h. Time series temperature profile (Argentina)

i. Maximum VCI

j. Spatial distribution of NDVI profiles

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

Table 3.6. Argentina’s agronomic indicators by sub-national regions, current season’s values and departure from 5YA, January 2021 – April 2021