Hot and Dry Conditions Continue to Impact Brazil’s First Corn Crop

The weather for the two largest first corn crop producing states in Brazil is split between hot and dry conditions in Rio Grande do Sul and wet conditions in Minas Gerais.

Rio Grande do Sul – Emater estimates that losses for the corn crop range from 6% to 90%.

Emater indicated that 23% of the corn is germinating/vegetative development, 13% pollinating, 24% filling grain, 27% mature, and 13% harvested. Farmers in the state have still not planted 6% of their intended corn acreage.

The hot and dry conditions in Brazil’s southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul continues to take a toll on the corn and soybean crops in the state. For the last several days, most of Brazil’s highest temperatures in the upper 90’s °F were recorded in Rio Grande do Sul. The forecast for this week is calling for even hotter temperatures.

The Federation of Agricultural and Livestock Cooperatives in the State of Rio Grande do Sul (FecoAgro/RS) released this week their estimate of crop losses due to the dry conditions in the state. They estimate that the dryland corn yields in the state will be down 59.2% and the irrigated corn yields will be down 13.5%.

The adverse weather hit the corn as it was pollinating and filling grain. In some of the hardest hit areas, farmers have decided to cut the corn for forage instead of leaving it for grain production. They are cutting the corn earlier than anticipated in the hope that they might be able to plant soybeans if there is adequate soil moisture.

Parana – The 2021/22 first corn crop production has also been reduced by Deral. They estimate that the corn yields in the state will be down 40% or more due to the drought. At the start of the growing season, Deral estimated the first corn crop at 4.11 million tons, but that has now been lowered to 2.7 million tons.

Deral is now rating the 2021/22 first corn crop in Parana as 25% poor, 40% average, and 35% good. The corn was 6% in vegetative development, 28% pollinating, 53% filling grain, and 13% mature as of earlier last week. The worst corn is in the western part of the state where the weather has been the driest.

A few hectares of safrinha corn have been planted in the state as farmers finish harvesting their early maturing soybeans. If the weather cooperates, Deral is expecting the safrinha corn crop in Parana to produce 15 million tons.

Minas Gerais – In contrast to the dry conditions in southern Brazil, the first corn crop in Minas Gerais has benefited from good growing conditions since the crop was planted. Rainfall has been abundant, maybe too much in some locations. The yields of all the first corn crop in northeastern Brazil are going to be very good and they will compensate somewhat for the disastrous corn yields in southern Brazil.

Soybean & Corn Advisor

Tags: dry conditions, corn crop, Brazil, weather, soybean, Production, yields