Climatic conditions favor the development of 2nd harvest corn

Data from the Agricultural Monitoring Bulletin (BMA), released this week by the National Supply Company (Conab), indicate that the rains that occurred in the first weeks of April were sufficient for the development of second-crop corn in most producing regions. 

The study presents the analysis of agroclimatic conditions and satellite images of summer crops from the 2023/2024 harvest and, in this edition, shows that the highest volumes of precipitation occurred in areas of the states of Pará and Maranhão, with losses in soybean harvesting and logistics operations. In Rio Grande do Sul, the water surplus caused occasional damage to crops, but, overall, it favored the maintenance of water storage in the soil.

The Bulletin also reveals that the lowest volumes of rain were recorded in areas of the Center-South and Center-North of Bahia, the north of Minas Gerais and the center of São Paulo, causing water restrictions for crops, mainly due to irregular rains and to high temperatures. In the southwest of Mato Grosso do Sul, soil moisture partially restricted the development of second crop corn.

The evolution graphs of the vegetation index (IV) of the main second-crop corn producing regions show advanced emergence in the current harvest, due to early sowing. This advance, associated with favorable weather conditions in most regions, has resulted in IV rising above the previous harvest and the historical average. In Matopiba (which encompasses the states of Maranhão, Tocantins, Piauí and Bahia), the IV of the current harvest is evolving close to average. However, in western Paraná, there was a reduction in IV, due to adverse weather conditions in the period prior to monitoring.

The BMA is a study published monthly, the result of collaboration between Conab, the National Institute of Meteorology (Inmet) and the Global Agriculture Monitoring Group (Glam), in addition to collaborating agents who contribute data researched in the field. The Agricultural Monitoring Bulletin is available in full at the link below: