Northeastern Brazil To Remain In Dry Bias
By Andrew Owen
Kansas City, February 18 (World Weather Inc.) – Drying was reported in northern Minas Gerais and Bahia during the past week. The ground firmed and many areas now have short to very short topsoil moisture while subsoil moisture is still rated adequately. Little rain is expected for the region 
during the next seven days and most of that which does fall will be lost to evaporation without having much impact on crop development potential. Stressful conditions may return to immature crops by the end of next week. Center-south and center-west Brazil will see a good mix of rain and sunshine during the coming week while southern Brazil will experience a drying tendency.
Northern Minas Gerais and Bahia only reported up to 0.63 inch of rain for the seven-day period ending Thursday morning. Rain amounts were too light to counter evaporation and many areas experienced net drying. Temperatures trended near to slightly above average with highest temperatures peaking in the 80s and lower to middle 90s Fahrenheit.
Western fringes of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul also reported little or no rain during the past week. The region is considered a minor production area relative to the nation, as a whole, leaving the drier bias as a minor impact on production.
The remaining production areas received enough rain to keep soil moisture rated favorably. Moisture totals ranged from 1.00 to 3.66 inches with local amounts up to 6.57 inches. Several areas from northern Rio Grande so Sul through Goias and southern Mato Grosso are completely saturated with moisture due to recent rainfall.
Soybean and corn harvesting are under way in center-south and far southern Brazil and progress has advanced around recent bouts of rain. The bulk of crops are in the pod filling and maturing stages of development. Drier weather would promote the best maturation conditions.
Northeastern Brazil would welcome more rain to keep the ground from drying out excessively. Early maturing crops will benefit from the drier bias while the more immature crops will require periodic rainfall to protect production potentials.
Showers and thunderstorms will evolve on a near daily basis in 
center-south and center-west Brazil through the end of next week. Rain amounts will be enough to keep soil moisture rated favorably in most locations. The areas in western Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul that were dry during the past week will also receive enough rain to bolster soil moisture. Temperatures will trend near normal and the combination of these trends should support good crop development and production potential with harvesting advancing around the periodic precipitation.
Far southern Brazil will only see periods of light precipitation during the coming week. Rain amounts will be too light in most areas to counter evaporation. The lack of rain will promote summer crop maturation and fieldwork, although some crops are still setting and filling pods and for those areas adequate subsoil moisture will maintain most crop needs.
Northern Minas Gerais and Bahia will continue to experience drier and slightly warmer than normal conditions through the end of next week. The lack of rain and warm weather will promote further drying that will likely increased crop stress and slow immature crop development. The region is still a minor production area and the impact of increasing crop stress on national corn, soybean, rice, cotton and sugarcane production will be small.
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