The current bulletin covers the main growing period of maize (main season), soybean, and rice in the South American MPZ. Winter crops are currently not in their growing season. 

Overall, conditions were favorable for crops during the monitoring period. Rainfall was 10% above average over the whole MPZ. According to the rainfall departure clustering analysis, extreme high precipitation (+100mm above average) occurred in early January and early April in Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil), Entre Rios and Santa Fe (Argentina) and in Uruguay. Most other places received normal rainfall (-30mm to +30mm from average) over the last four months. Average temperature was 23.9°C, about 0.5°C below average, but departures fluctuated between -2.5°C and +3.0°C. Favorable conditions resulted in a 6% above average BIOMSS, although the biomass accumulation potential departure map shows values of 20% or more below average in Cordoba in Argentina and in Santa Catarina and Minas Gerais in Brazil. The VHI map, however, does not show drought condition in those areas, indicating that the below average BIOMSS resulted from the combined effect of temperature and rainfall anomalies. 

Favorable conditions together with the increase in maize planted area (as a result of strong export demand) led to almost 100% of arable land being cultivated during the last four months, with the only exception in an area around Bahia Blanca. Crops benefited from the good climatic conditions with an average VCIx for the whole MPZ of 0.89, a record level for this time of year compared to the last five years. VCIx in Brazil was relatively higher than in Argentina, which might be caused by an early harvest of summer crops in Argentina. 

In general, prospects are good for summer crop outputs in the South American MPZ.

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(degree)

e. maximum VCI                                                                              f.croppedarable land

g. Biomass accumulation potential departure                                  h.VHI minimum