Hot and Dry Conditions Impacting Soybeans in Paraguay

The growing season in Paraguay started with a lot of promise – early planting and good conditions, but the weather in southeastern Paraguay has been getting hotter and dryer since early November. The adverse conditions are hitting the soybeans during their critical pod filling phase. It has been especially hard on the soybeans planted in September. The full extent of the damage won’t be known until the crop is harvested starting in January, but I would not be surprised if a lot of the soybean yields in Paraguay end up in the range of 30 sacks per hectare (27 bu/ac).

One of the differences between Paraguay and Brazil is that nearly all the soybeans in the country are grown in the southeastern part of the country where the weather has deteriorated. There are few areas of Paraguay where the soybeans are in good shape and can compensate for the low yielding soybeans in southeastern Paraguay. In Brazil, good yields in the northern part of the country will compensate somewhat for the losses in southern Brazil.

Soybeans in Paraguay that were planted until mid-October could still recuperate some of their yield potential, but they would need soaking rains within 1-2 weeks at the latest.

The soybeans in western part of Parana state in Brazil, which is right across the Parana River from eastern Paraguay, are also being impacted by the adverse weather.

Soybean & Corn Advisor

Tags: damage, Brazil, soybeans, yields, conditions, growing season, Paraguay