CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

In a view to document one of the principal factors affecting different crops in the humid pampa of Argentina, the spatial and temporal rainfall variability has been examined. The study zone plays a crucial role in the local economies. In particular, it is one of the largest food producers in the world. Cropping systems include maize, soybean and The objectives of this work are to analyze the annual cycle of percentiles and the frequency of daily precipitation events throughout the year, with special interest in extreme and very heavy rainfall. Spatial and temporal variability in the frequency of daily precipitation is observed across the humid pampa. Precipitation occurred more frequently at northeastern than at southwestern climate stations. The annual cycles of the daily precipitation amount and the frequency of rainday show the same temporal variability, showing that the rainfall variation is not caused by variations in the intensity. The occurrence of extreme events are very uncommon, specially in the core zone of the crops. This seasonal distribution of rainfall in conjunction with the temperature regime of these latitudes provides almost optimum conditions for agriculture and livestock breeding. This regional and seasonal variability in precipitation must be considered when designing hydrologic systems and managing agricultural and natural resources.

enviar mensaje