Recent Rain Improved Soil Conditions For Northern Brazil
By Andrew Owen
Kansas City, November 23 (World Weather Inc.) – Several areas from Mato Grosso through Bahia and northern Minas Gerais were struggling with a lack of rain in October and earlier this month. Planting got off to a slow start and the crops that were planted established poorly or unevenly. Many areas reported enough rain during the past week to bolster soil moisture to more adequate levels. Planting and establishment conditions improved for most areas, though there are still several pockets that need more rain. Scattered showers and 
thunderstorms will promote additional rain this week. In the meantime, many areas from center south through interior far southern Brazil and Paraguay have saturated soil conditions and a little net drying would be welcome.
Rain was erratically distributed across Brazil during the past week. Minas Gerais and neighboring areas, along with Parana and southern Mato Grosso do Sul were wettest with rain totals of 1.00 to 4.00 inches with local amounts up to 6.15 inches. Much of the remaining production area in Brazil reported 0.50 to 2.50 inches of rain with greater amounts. There were pockets in Sao Paulo, Goias, and western Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul that reported less than 0.50 inch of rain during the past week, but there was also some missing data from Sao Paulo.
Soil moisture was rated surplus to excessive in a large portion of southern and center-south Brazil today. The wet bias has been slowing fieldwork, but only recently. Most of the nation was looking for greater rain a week or two ago and the change has been mostly beneficial.
Soil conditions vary across northern Brazil. Many areas have received enough rain recently to saturate the topsoil, but a large part of Bahia is still quite dry along with portions of Tocantins and central Goias. Subsoil moisture across most of northern Brazil is still rated short or very short reflecting the relatively recent amount of time that rain has been more abundant across the region. Additional rain is needed to further relieve the driest areas.
Winter wheat harvesting was frequently slowed or delayed in recent weeks due to the continued wet weather bias. Harvesting normally continues through the end of November in center-south Brazil and through December in Rio Grande do Sul, though many producers are likely harvesting later than normal. Quality and yield reductions have likely occurred in many locations. Dry weather is needed to improve harvesting in much of southern and center-south Brazil.
Periods of dry weather might also be needed in southern and center-south Brazil to improve summer crop planting and establishment for those areas that are exceptionally wet. However, fieldwork is moving along better now than at any other time this spring and only a few areas have been getting rain often enough to thwart 
fieldwork in a significant manner.
Summer crop planting in northern Brazil was slow earlier this season due to dryness. Recent rain significantly improved planting conditions, although more is needed to eliminate the remnant dryness. There is still plenty of time for planting to conclude and weather conditions will be mostly cooperative for reaching that goal.
Scattered shower and thunderstorm activity will occur on a frequent basis in center-south and northern Brazil this week. The rain will be enough to bolster soil moisture or keep moisture at current levels in most locations. Portions of center-south Brazil could experience local flooding later this week and this weekend. Planting and general fieldwork will advance around periods of rain.
Far southern Brazil will experience a good mix of rain and sunshine during the coming week to ten days. Sufficient moisture will be present to support rice, corn, soybean and other developing summer crops. Some wheat harvesting will resume and the planting of several summer crops will continue, as well.
Temperatures will trend near normal in much of Brazil this week. Some northern areas will have a slight warmer bias while the south will be slightly cooler biased at times. Most temperatures will continue supportive of crop development and quick drying when rain is not falling.
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