Argentina's recent spate of hot, dry weather is starting to damage corn and soybean crops, placing the outlook for yields at risk if it does not rain soon.
Rains were uneven across the country in the past week, with portions of the north receiving heavy rainfall while much of Cordoba and Buenos Aires provinces received very little, according to the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (SAGyP). This trend is likely to persist into the week ahead, with only sporadic rains expected across much of the country.
The inconsistent precipitation led the share of Argentina's soybean crop with adequate-to-optimal soil moisture levels to fall by 7 percentage points in the week to 67pc, mostly because of a lack of rain in the south of Cordoba province, the Buenos Aires Grain Exchange (Bage) said.
The soybean crop remained mostly in good shape, though the lack of rain has had an impact, dropping the share of the crop rated in normal-to-excellent condition by almost 10 percentage points in the week to 87pc, Bage said.
Soybeans in in parts of Argentina's so-called core region have started to lose some lower leaves because of the weather conditions. The extent of the damage will depend on how much it rains in the next week, the Rosario Board of Trade (BCR) said.
The presence of red spider mites has been reported in some areas, which will require the application of pesticides, Bage said.
Soybean planting advanced by 2.3 percentage points in the week through 21 January, reaching just over 96pc complete, as rain in the north slowed work in the fields, Bage said.
Corn needs rain too
Dry weather farther south has also impacted corn, with the southeast of Cordoba hit the hardest, and growers in the area facing potential losses of up to 50pc of the early planted crop, BCR said.
Corn in parts of Argentina that have received sufficient precipitation remained in good shape, BCR said, with almost 84pc of early planted corn and just over 90pc of late planted corn still in normal-to-good condition, Bage said.
Farmers reported a growing presence of leafhoppers in Santa Fe province, and applications of insecticides will be needed to control them, Bage said. The bugs were also found in Entre Rios province, according to SAGyP. Some growers who have yet to plant corn might switch the remaining area to soybeans as a result, Bage said.
An infestation of the insects, which spread corn stunt disease, reduced corn yields in Argentina by about 15pc for the 2023-24 marketing year, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Corn planting made little progress in the north due to rain, advancing just 1.4 percentage points to 93.1pc complete, Bage said.
