Day 2: Northern Santa Fe and parts of Cordoba raise harvest alert status Argentina 23/24

Provinces responded less favorably to post-rainfall soybean recovery

The second day of the Notícias Agrícolas and Grupo Labhoro crop tour passed through the provinces of Santa Fe and Córdoba, arriving in the late afternoon, making its first stop.

In Santa Fe, there were a lot of irregularities, as crops responded differently to the arrival of recent rains – especially those that fell between February 8 and 12. In the north of the province, as explained by Grupo Laboro's general manager, Ginaldo Souza, the fields did not benefit and the effects of water stress were more evident. The situation is completely different from what was observed in the south and centre.

“North Santa Fe needs more rain,” he says.

The arrival in Cordoba Province, the eastern region close to Santa Fe, also indicates the need for rainfall, with crops feeling the effects of the recent heat wave a little more. From the center to the south of the province, fields are already looking in better shape — and need some rain, too — and are starting to shoot knives into the soybeans.

But the Laboro Group director issues an important warning. “There is no rain forecast for the next few days and this is a bit of a dangerous situation, because the soybeans are between the end of flowering and the beginning of filling the pods. It has to rain so that we do not have a serious problem during filling,” says Souza. “From now on, the climate will be decisive, and in the next ten days, there will be no rain, except in western Cordoba.”

+ Day 1: Buenos Aires and Santa Fe provinces have good areas, but still need rain

Bequiline, Cordoba

Soy fields in Piquilen, Cordoba – Photos: Daniel Olivi

Rio Segundo, Cordoba

Soybean fields in Rio Segundo, Cordoba – Photos: Daniel Olivi

Oliva, Cordoba

Soy fields in Oliva, Cordoba – Photos: Daniel Olivé

San Francisco, Santa Fe

Soybean fields in San Francisco, Santa Fe – Photos: Daniel Olivi

Colonel Fraga, Santa Fe

In Santa Fe, the tour reached the Coronel Fraga region, registering the irregularity of the province as a sign of its harvest. Despite the wet soil, it is possible to notice that the plants are also fragile.

In Coronel Fraga, fields show the irregularity of the harvest in Santa Fe province
Photos: Daniel Olivi

Rafaela, Santa Fe

In Rafaela, soybean crops are still in flower and are suffering from dry soil. See photos of the areas visited.

Soybean crops in the Rafaela area, Santa Fe – Photos: Daniel Olivi

Esperanza, Santa Fe

Crops visited in the Esperanza area, in Santa Fe, are also still in flower. This, according to the director of Notícias Agrícolas, is “an example of a crop that suffered from drought at the beginning of its cultivation and returned to germination after rainfall.” Now, you can see in the video below that the potential of the plants has been compromised and the shortcomings have become more apparent.

Below, see some photos of the Esperanza area:

Soybean fields in the Esperanza region – Photos: Daniel Olivi