The reporting period covers the harvesting of late summer crops (soybean, maize and rice), and the beginning of planting of wheat. The period is mainly a fallow period due to the generally dry conditions during the winter months.

The situation of South America was variable between subregions, with poor conditions in the North and South of the MPZ and good conditions in the Center.

Spatial distribution of rainfall profiles showed five regions, which were mainly distributed along a North-South gradient. The north of the MPZ (orange profile) showed changes from negative anomalies at the beginning of the reporting period to almost no anomalies since mid-June. The second profile (blue) located mainly in Paraná State in Brazil and West of Paraguay showed variability between periods of no anomalies and periods with negative anomalies. Starting in June, all anomalies were negative.  The third profile (red) located around Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil and North Mesopotamia and North East Chaco in Argentina showed variation between positive anomalies and no anomalies at the beginning of the reporting period. Since July it had only negative anomalies. The fourth profile (dark green), located mostly in Uruguay and South Mesopotamia in Argentina, showed hardly any anomalies during most of the period, apart from two strong positive anomalies at the end April and July and a negative anomaly at the beginning of May. The last profile (light green) was located in in Argentina (Pampas, South Chaco and Subtropical Highlands) and showed a quite stable pattern with no anomalies.

The temperature profiles showed 5 patterns. All of them showed showed similar trends, but different magnitudes of the anomalies.  Most of the profiles showed reductions in April, mid-May and mid-June; and increments at the end of April, May and June. The red profile was located in the north of the MPZ and showed the highest positive departures. The blue and dark green profiles showed intermediate values. The blue profile was observed in Mato Grosso do Sul, Sao Paulo and Parana state in Brazil and in East Paraguay. The dark green profile was observed also in the north of the MPZ, on its western and eastern boundaries. The orange and light green profiles showed the lowest values with negative anomalies in most of the reporting period. The orange profile was located in most of Mesopotamia, Chaco and North of Subtropical Highlands in Argentina, South East Paraguay, North Uruguay and Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. The light green profile was observed in Pampas and South of Subtropical Highlands in Argentina and South Uruguay.

The BIOMSS departure map showed poor conditions with values lower than -20 % in the north and south of the MPZ. This pattern covered most of the MPZ and included Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Goias, Minas Gerais and Sao Paulo in Brazil, West Paraguay and most of the Pampas and the east of Subtropical Highlands in Argentina. Good conditions were observed in most of Mesopotamia and Chaco in Argentina, East Uruguay and Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina in Brazil.  

Maximum VCI showed good conditions with values higher than 0.8 in the north of the MPZ and showed poor conditions in most of the Pampas in Argentina. Although the dry and hot weather in southern Brazil was unfavorable for crops, as presented by the significantly below average BIOMSS, vegetation conditions were in general comparable or even more favorable than in the previous five years especially in the Parana River basin. This could be attributed to the irrigation in the region which mitigates the adverse weather impacts. Crop arable land was fully cultivated in the agricultural areas of the MPZ in Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. In Argentina, uncropped areas in the agricultural belt in the center and western Pampas were observed. This might have been due to a delay in the planting of the winter crops.

Several indices showed poor conditions in the north and south of the MPZ. The Pampas showed poor conditions in BIOMSS, maximum VCI, as well as areas that were not cultivated.

Figure 2.3. South America MPZ: Agro-climatic indicators, April - July 2022

a. Spatial distribution of rainfall profiles b. Profiles of rainfall departure from average (mm)

c. Spatial distribution of temperature profiles d. Profiles of temperature departure from average (°C)

e. Cropped and uncropped arable land

f. Potential biomass departure from 15YA

g. Maximum VCI