December to date in Brazil has been the tale of two trends – wet and rainy to the north and dry to the south. Fortunately for Brazil’s largest soybean-producing state, Mato Grosso, wetter trends have been dominant so far this month.
The state of Mato Grosso ranked as the 11th and fifth warmest and wettest states in more than 30 year, with above-normal precipitation and temperatures close to average. These conditions, in conjunction with favorable weather at the start of the season, have allowed for quick and healthy growth of the state’s crops.
Unfortunately, the opposite is true for states in southern Brazil like Rio Grand do Sul. According to data from WeatherTrends360, December to date was the 11th driest in 30-plus years, trending drier than both last year and normal. These dry December conditions came after a drier November and October than the average, further depleting soils.
Photo credit: WeatherTrends360
As we look ahead to the week ending on New Year’s Day, forecasts from WeatherTrends360 show dry conditions continuing in southern Brazil. Parts of southern Mato Grosso, Goias could see dry conditions this week, while the rest of these states will continue to trend wetter than usual. Northeastern Brazil will also experience wetter trends over the week.
For the growing regions of Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, a dry and cooler end to the year is expected. Little to no rain is expected for this seven-day period. Argentina’s growing region is in need of another timely rain in order to help replenish soil moisture and limit crop stress. Although the country has had a few good-timed rains over the past few months, the recent dry spell is starting to affect both soybeans and corn.
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Source: Successful Farming