South Brazil Heavy Rain Spurs Rapid Planting

October 31, 2011

South Brazil was hit twice with strong thunderstorms in the past week, replenishing dry fields for spring planting.   A solid 3 inches of rain, but locally 4-6 inches,  occurred October 29 in Western Parana.   Rio Grande do Sul received 2.5 – 3 inches of rain in the same wave of showers.

Five days earlier, 1.5 to 3 inch rains doused South Brazil with scattered thunderstorms.  See below.

By late October,   Rio Grande do Sul corn was 92% planted, Parana 83% and Santa Catarina 74%  finished.  Soybeans made excellent progress in South Brazil, reaching 56% complete in Parana, 27% Santa Catarina and 10% Rio Grande do Sul.

Mato Grosso rainfall lightened up last week.   The Center- West area where soybeans are heavily cultivated normally receives 1.3” to 1.7” of rain weekly, but conditions last week were rather dry.  Without clouds and showers, maximum temperatures topped out near 100 F.

The forecast this week is wetter in Mato Grosso.   If generous showers resume,  as expected, all would be well for soybean development.   Planting is virtually finished in the Brazil top soybean state.

Mato Grosso Corn Potential Higher

Mato Grosso soybean planting got off to a rapid start from  generous rainfall in early  October.   Last year, the rainy season was delayed by 3 weeks.   Timely soybean planting improves the outlook for corn, also, grown as a second crop in Mato Grosso, after the soybean harvest is finished in late January-February.

Safrinha corn, as it is known, was not very productive in 2011, running out of rainfall to fill grain in April and May.   The “wet season”  abruptly quit, leaving Mato Grosso corn high and dry.  Damage occurred largely because corn was planted late, behind a  slow maturing soybean crop.      Safrinha corn production this season may be more productive benefiting from a more prolonged rainy season.   Timely soybean planting  encourages earlier corn planting.

The monsoon quit early, in April-May, 2011, cutting grain-filling period short: