Main Crop Season: El Niño Requires Adjustments to Field Management

Specialists from Argentina's National Agricultural Technology Institute analyze conditions for the main crop season under an El Niño forecast of above-normal rainfall. Plant-available soil water reserves stand between 70 and 80 percent, which could improve the productive potential of summer crops but increases the risk of waterlogging, flooding, loss of planted area and deterioration of grain quality in poorly drained fields. INTA recommends anticipating decisions based on soil water conditions and the characteristics of each field, preserving trafficability, reducing unnecessary tillage, adjusting planting dates and adapting the management of maize, sunflower and soybeans. In well-drained environments, it also recommends assessing water management, fertilization and the selection of high-yielding hybrids.