International weather and crop highlights

Date:12-14-2012

Europe – Highlight: cold and snowy weather ushered crops into dormancy

Cold, snowy weather across much of central and Eastern Europe eased winter crops into dormancy.

Rain and locally heavy snow in the Balkans boosted moisture for winter wheat, although the sudden arrival of cold weather likely closed the door on any additional late-season establishment.

USA - mild, dry weather prevailed for much of the week on the Plains, maintaining severe stress on pastures, rangeland, and winter wheat. Toward week's end, however, snow began to overspread the northern Plains. In Montana and the Dakotas, the late-week snow provided winter grains with highly beneficial moisture and insulation.

Australia – Highlight: some rain for summer crops

In Western Australia, occasional showers slowed winter crop drydown and harvesting.

Warm, mostly dry weather in southeastern Australia favoured winter grain maturation and harvesting.

In northern New South Wales and Queensland, scattered showers reduced local irrigation requirements for summer crops, but more rain would be welcome, particularly for dryland crops.

Northwestern Africa – Highlight: showers persisted

Showers benefited winter grain establishment in Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia.

Middle East – Highlight: locally heavy rain returned to turkey

Moderate to heavy rain returned to Turkey, ending a month-long dry spell while boosting soil moisture for winter wheat and barley. Rain also spread into Syria, Lebanon, and Israel.

Light to moderate rain and high-elevation snow favored winter crops in western and southern Iran.

FSU – Highlight: showers arrived in southern winter wheat areas

Showers returned to western portions of Russia's Southern District, providing much-needed soil moisture for late winter wheat establishment.

Winter crops remained mostly devoid of a protective snowpack; snow cover typically extends from Belarus and central Ukraine into central and northern Russia by early December.
 
South Asia – Highlight: sunny, mild weather

Seasonably mild weather promoted wheat and rapeseed development in northern India.

East Asia – Highlight: winter wheat continued to ease into dormancy

Seasonably cold weather eased winter wheat into dormancy across the North China Plain.

Southeast Asia – Highlight: Tropical Cyclone Bopha

Tropical Cyclone Bopha made landfall in the southern Philippines with winds in excess of 140 knots and caused damage to corn and rice in low-lying areas.

South America – Highlight: wetness disrupted fieldwork in argentina and southern brazil

Pockets of heavy rain maintained slow rates of summer crop planting throughout Argentina.

Rain inundated portions of southern Brazil, keeping summer crops well watered but disrupting fieldwork, including soybean planting and winter wheat harvesting. Conditions remained overall favourable for crops in central Brazil, including soybeans, cotton, sugarcane, and coffee.

South Africa – Highlight: showers increased moisture for summer crops widespread showers boosted moisture reserves for corn, sugarcane, and other rain-fed summer crops.