2010/11 Cropping Season at Argentina - Fertilizer consumption and area planted to grains

2010/11 Cropping Season at Argentina - Fertilizer consumption and area planted to grains
Fertilizer consumption in Argentina increased by almost 37% in 2010 respect to 2009 (2.46 million t), reaching approximately 3.37 million t. This increase follows a decline of 34% in 2008 and 2009 from the record consumption year of 2007 (3.72 million t). Consumption increased by 38%, 32%, 91%, and 30% for N, P, K, and S fertilizers, respectively. Figure 1 shows the evolution of nutrient consumption at Argentina from 1993 through 2010.

Fig. 1. Nutrient consumption in Argentina, 1993-2010.

Data of Fertilizar Asociacion Civil (the association of fertilizer companies of Argentina, www.fertilizar.org.ar), show that fertilizer consumption along 2010 concentrated towards the second semester, indicating a higher use in soybean, and maize, and a lower use in wheat crops respect to previous years (Fig. 2).

Fig.2. Fertilizer consumption in Argentina, per trimester, in 2010. Source: Fertilizar AC.

The recovery of fertilizer consumption respect to the last two seasons would be attributed to a larger planted area in 2010 than 2009 (+6.5%), and an increase in fertilizer use per ha. These favorable conditions were set from the record harvest of summer crops in the 2009/10 season, improved grain prices, and better climatic conditions in the second semester of 2010.

Table 1 shows the evolution of planted area of the main grain crops in Argentina from 2007 to 2010. The area planted in 2010 to soybean, maize, wheat, sunflower, barley and rice increased by 2%, 11%, 21%, 10%, 20%, and 25%, respectively, from 2009 . Grain yields for the 2010/11 winter crops (wheat and barley) were exceptional because of excellent climatic conditions and technology use. Summer crops have been greatly affected by the drought that started in mid-November, due to La Niña event. Some growing areas have received good precipitation from mid-January that would help to improve soybean crops performance.

Table 1. Area planted to the main grain crops in Argentina, 2007-10. Source: Ministry of Agriculture, http://www.minagri.gob.ar/

Crop	2007	2008	2009	2010
	------------------------------ ha ------------------------------
Barley	439915	589000	500000	600000
Maize	4240000	3489000	3668580	4085370
Rice	183550	205450	205450	256000
Soybean	16600000	18000000	18343275	18690962
Sunflower	2620000	1957000	1486210	1627000
Wheat	5948000	4732000	3487414	4215300

IPNI Southern Cone has been working to provide more and better information and knowledge to farmers and agronomists to take advantage of favorable weather conditions in the 2010/11 as well as to improve cop production under non-favorable weather conditions through efficient nutrient management. More information on best management practices for fertilizer use is available at www.ipni.net/lasc.

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