Favorable conditions for crop growing were observed during the reporting period particularly when considering the severe drought that occurred during last reporting period. The crop calendar shows for this period the maturity of late summer crops (soybean, maize and rice), fallow for early planted summer crops and sowing of winter crops such as wheat.

Rainfall showed a marked positive anomaly of 79 %. Temperature was reduced by just 0.1° but radiation showed a more significant reduction of 7 % associated with rainy and cloudy weather. These conditions led to a significant increase in BIOMSS of 33%.

NDVI profiles show in general near averages values, with lower than average values at the beginning of the period and higher than average values at the end. Some regions (12.3% or arable land) showed a strong negative anomaly during May, probably associated to flooding conditions.  Temporal behavior of NDVI for the whole region (Figure c) shows lower than average values during most of the period, probably associated to past drought conditions during growing stage of summer crops.

CropWatch subdivides Argentina into eight agro-ecological zones (AEZ) based on cropping systems, climatic zones, and topography; they are identified by numbers in the VCIx map. Only four of them are found to be relevant for crops cultivation: the Chaco, Mesopotamia, the Pampas, and the Subtropical highlands for which the crop conditions will be discussed with some detail in this section.

All four regions showed very high increments in RAIN. Higher anomalies were observed for Tropical Highlands (158 %), followed by Chaco (131 %), Pampas (92 %) and Mesopotamia (27 %). TEMP showed negative anomalies for Tropical Highlands (-0.5°) and Chaco (-0.1°), positive anomalies for Pampas (+0.2), and no anomalies for Mesopotamia. Pampas and Mesopotamia showed reductions in RADPAR of 14.6 and 4.9 % respectively, while Tropical Highlands and Chaco showed increments of 1.7 and 1.3 % respectively. The four regions showed significant increments in BIOMSS in response to high amounts of RAIN observed. Estimated increments in BIOMSS are +83 % for Tropical Highlands, 47% for the Pampas, 14 % for Chaco and 10 % for Mesopotamia

According to the cropped arable land fraction indicator (CALF), higher reductions were observed for Pampas (-6.7 %) and Chaco (-0.43 %), while Subtropical highlands and Mesopotamia showed increments of 1.6 and 0.7 % respectively.

Maximum VCI was characterised by near average values for most of the country (between 0.8 and 1) and low variation from average (among 0.5 and 0.8). Depressed Pampas region showed higher than average values and West Pampas very low values (less than 0.5). Considering subregions, Maximum VCI was high for Tropical Highlands (0.87), Chaco (0.83) and  Mesopotamia (0.83) and low for the Pampas (0.2). This low value can be associated to flooding conditions in part of this subregion.

Crop condition development graph based on NDVI analysis for subregions showed for Chaco, Mesopotamia and Pampas, a recovering pattern (NDVI anomalies at the beginning and more similar to average values during last months), probably due to drought conditions occurred during last reporting period and wetter conditions for this reporting period.  For Subtropical highlands, a pattern more similar to average values was observed. 

The CropWatch estimates for Soybean, Maize and Rice are 14.1%, 15.1% and 5.7% below previous year's production as a result of drought impact during the key growing stage in the previous bulletin.

                                                      Figure 3.8. Argentina’s cropcondition, April-July2018         

                                                                (a). Phenology of major crops

(b) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI                          (c) maximum VCI

(d) Spatial NDVI patterns compared to 5YA                   (e) NFVI profile

(f)Crop condition development graph based on NDVI (Subtropical highlands (left) andChaco region (right))

(g) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI (Pampas region (left) and Mesopotamia region (right))

(h) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI Subtropical highlands

Table 3.5. Argentina’s agroclimatic indicators by sub-national regions, current season's values and departure from 15YA, April-July 2018

Table 3.6. Argentina’s agronomic indicators by sub-national regions, current season's values and departure from 5YA, April-July 2018

Table 3.7. CropWatch-estimated maize, rice and soybean production for Argentina in 2018 (thousand tons)