This reporting period covers the main growing period of early and late summer crops. Early crops include soybean, maize and rice and late crops include soybean and maize. The planting of late summer crops, as well as maturity and harvest of early summer crops took place during this reporting period. Conditions were poor in the North of the MPZ, while they improved in Argentina, which had suffered from drought conditions during the last reporting period. 

The spatial distribution of rainfall profiles showed in most of the area slight or no anomalies (dark green pattern) with departure values fluctuating around +25 mm and -25 mm. Regions with this pattern include most of Pampas, Chaco and Mesopotamia in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and Paraná states in Brazil. A profile with high positive anomalies during January and early-February and moderate positive anomalies during late March and early April (light green profile) was observed in Subtropical Highlands and in small areas in North West Pampas in Argentina and in North West Paraná state in Brazil. A profile with moderate negative anomalies (near -50 mm) from January to March (blue profile) was observed in West Mato Grosso, South Mato Grosso do Sul, South Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro states in Brazil. Finally, an orange profile with strong negative anomalies from January to March (near -100 mm) was observed in East Mato Grosso, North Mato Grosso do Sul, North Sao Paulo, Goias and Minas Gerais in Brazil.

Temperature profiles showed five homogeneous profiles. A profile with strong positive anomalies during almost the entire reporting period (red profile) was observed in East Mato Grosso, Goias, Minas Gerais and North Sao Paulo states in Brazil. A pattern with moderate positive anomalies from mid-January to mid-February and from the end of February to the end of March (blue profile) was observed in West Mato Grosso, East Mato Grosso do Sul, Sao Paulo, South East Minas Gerais and Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, and in Chaco and part of Subtropical Highlands in Argentina. A profile with moderate negative anomalies at the beginning of January, February and April and positive anomalies at the end of January and end of March was observed in Paraguay, North Chaco and North Mesopotamia in Argentina, and South Mato Grosso do Sul, Paraná and Santa Catarina States in Brazil. Finally, two profiles with similar variability in anomalies showing strong negative anomalies in mid-February and strong positive anomalies from the end of February to mid-March (light and dark green profiles) were observed all along the Humid Pampas in Argentina, Uruguay and South Rio Grande do Sul state in Brazil.

BIOMSS departure map showed poor conditions (more than -20 % departure) in Mato Grosso, Goias, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul, and Sao Paulo states in Brazil and in South East and part of South West Pampas in Argentina. Moderate to poor conditions were observed in Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil and North East Pampas and South Mesopotamia in Argentina. Positive anomalies in BIOMSS were observed in Paraná and Santa Catarina states in Brazil, in Paraguay and in Chaco, Subtropical Highlands and North West Pampas in Argentina.

Maximum VCI showed good conditions in Paraguay and most of Brazil, but showed low values in West Rio Grande do Sul state. Low VCI values were observed in West Uruguay and Center East, North East and part of South West Pampas, South Mesopotamia and East Chaco in Argentina.  The other parts of Argentina showed good conditions. Unexpected differences between BIOMSS and VCIx were observed in the North of the MPZ, with low values in BIOMSS and normal conditions in VCIx. Differences in these indices are mainly that BIOMSS describes potential conditions derived from weather parameters (which showed anomalies in this region), while VCIx represents the actual crop condition with respect to historical observations based on NDVI. Poor BIOMSS but normal to high VCIx values in Brazil could have been the result of irrigation practices.

Crop Arable Land Fraction was almost complete, with the exception of a small portion in South West Pampas, showing a recovery from the last reporting period where several areas remained uncropped over Argentina.

In summary, several indices showed poor weather conditions and low BIOMSS values in the North of the MPZ, while VCIx, which is derived from NDVI, presented a normal situation. In contrast, Argentine Pampas and southern Brazil showed poor conditions in both BIOMSS and VCIx, especially in East Pampas in Argentina and in Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. Argentina also showed strong negative and positive anomalies during this period.

Figure 2.3 South America MPZ: Agroclimatic and agronomic indicators, January-April 2023.

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) Potential biomass departure from 5YA.

f) Maximum VCI.

g) Cropped and uncropped arable land.