Global Crop Watch

Global Crop Watch Summary - March 26, 2004 - Corn crop conditions continued to benefit from rainfall across S. Africa's "Maize Triangle.  Argentina summer crop areas trended dry, while southern Brazil remained dry and northern growing areas continued to receive rain.  Wheat areas of India remained moist maintaining favorable crop conditions.  While the North China Plain remained dry, adequate moisture and cool weather favored  good wheat crop conditions.  The central U.S. remained warmer than normal, favoring growth and development of winter wheat well into South Dakota, ahead of normal.  However, this heat exacerbated crop stress in western growing areas.  

 Weather Remains Mixed for Brazilian Soybean Production -  Southern Brazil remained dry this week, decreasing crop conditions for soybeans.  Rains fell across more northern production areas, as happened during the last few weeks.  Crops are maturing in the north, so rains could interfere with dry-down and harvest.  

Brazil Soybean Area Map - This map was created by the USDA/NOAA Joint Agricultural Weather Facility.  This map includes data through 1993 and soybean area has expanded significantly across several of the northern and western areas.  However, this map does illustrate the importance of the northern growing areas, which improved in condition during late February and March 2004 and the tradition southern soybean areas, which deteriorated in crop conditions due to hot and dry weather.  

U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook Map - NOAA prepared this map to depict the likely-hood of drought situations to continue or change.  Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona's multi-year drought will continue through June if this outlook verifies.  Some relief is already occurring in the northern plains as storms cross the country.  Winter wheat situation in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas should also improve if this outlook continues to be correct.

Snow Cover Map for North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota, March 20, 1997 - This map compares with the prior March 20, 2004 snow cover map. This map illustrates how much snow remained across this region into March and April 1997, resulting in massive flooding across North Dakota and western Minnesota.  Losses to livestock and infra-structure were enormous that year.  

Southern Plains Soil Moisture Comparison Maps - Large portions of the southern plains are drier in March 2004 than in March 2003.  This is particularly critical across New Mexico, eastern Colorado, western Kansas, and western Nebraska.  The rainfed wheat areas of south central Kansas, north and central Oklahoma, and north central Texas have received some rainfall and are less droughty than crop land to the west.  However, even these areas are drier than they were this same time last year.  Rainfall from now through June will drive this crop's condition.

NOAA 16 Satellite Images of the Southern Plains  - These images compare winter wheat vegetation (the red shades) across the Southern Plains comparing March 2004 with March 2003.  This year, the scene on the right, dryness is evident across southeast Colorado, based on the light gray.  Also, lack of red across northwest Kansas, indicates that crop condition is also being hampered, probably by lack of moisture.  Central Kansas, south through central Oklahoma wheat looks rather good right now. 

Precipitation Graphs for Weather Station Across the Southern Plains -  These graphs indicate that this year rainfall (the red line) across northern Texas, central Oklahoma, and central Kansas is on track with recent years and has kept soils moister than precipitation across more western and northern portions of the southern plains. 

Precipitation Graphs for Weather Station Across the Southern Plains -  These graphs indicate that this year, rainfall across the more western and northern portions of the southern plains are drier compared to the prior graph charts, to the south and east.  Note that pre-winter wheat planting in August 2003, rainfall was adequate to benefit winter wheat establishment.  However, these stations did dry out during Winter 2003/04.