(NAFB) – The corn and soybean harvest in South America continues to accelerate, and as the planting window for the second-corn crop opens, temperature and precipitation patterns become more important.

Spotty showers in parts of Brazil are slowing down harvest and delaying the second-corn crop planting efforts. Drier weather in southern Brazil and Argentina has been more favorable for harvest. Weather Trends 360 says the prospect for dry weather will continue into March, which isn’t optimistic for the immature crops and the second-corn crop plants. In central and western Brazil, spotty showers are causing harvest delays as producers dodge hit-or-miss showers in their fields.

Late planting of the second-corn crop means a risk of the plants entering the critical pollination period as the rainy season in Brazil ends, which puts the yield at risk.

Overall, the southern third of Brazil will be stuck in a dry trend through next month. Dry and hot conditions will cause soil moisture to be at a deficit across much of the region, especially in Argentina.