The current monitoring period covers the main harvestingtime of winter crops in the Pampas, as well as soybean planting, early growingstages of maize, and the planting of late maize all over the MPZ.

Rainfall (RAIN) was 8% above average, while temperature wasslightly below (TEMP, -0.7°C) and radiation (RADPAR) 2% above average as well,resulting in a projected BIOMSS of about 4% above the five-year average.Maximum VCI values, however, show that expected potential production is farfrom the high values observed during previous seasons. When considering spatialdetail, precipitation was higher than average during December and January in centraland northern Argentina and in the state of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. Thesame period experienced higher than average temperatures in the Pampas and nearthe coast in Brazil. Maximum VCI showed higher values for Brazil than forArgentina, reflecting areas with problems in the latter (such as flooding innortheast Buenos Aires and Cordoba provinces and drought in southern BuenosAires), with poor conditions confirmed by the BIOMSS map. In general, VHI showedsimilar values across the MPZ, without any relevant differences betweenArgentina and Brazil.

Altogether the prospects for summer crops remain favorablein Brazil, while some regions of Argentina suffered from poor conditions thatmay reduce their output.

Figure 2.3. South America MPZ: Agroclimaticand agronomic indicators, October2016-January 2017

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)

(f) cropped arable land                                         (g) VHI minimum

(h) Maximum VCI                            g.  Biomass accumulation potential departure