Benchmarking of drought and climate indices for agricultural drought monitoring in Argentina

Site-specific studies are required to identify suitable drought indices (DIs) for assessing and predicting drought-related impacts. This study presents a benchmark of eight DIs 19 large-scale climate (CIs) monitor agricultural in Argentina. First, the link between CIs was investigated at departmental-administrative level different temporal scales. Then, effectiveness explaining variability crop yields, understood as impacts droughts, evaluated using statistical regression models. Soybeans were used reference crop. Additionally, performances yields compared. The located Pacific Ocean (El Niño 3.4 El 4) found have best correlations with (R values up 0.49). These relationships stronger longer aggregations during wet hot seasons (summer), showing significant role triggering droughts that corelated those included temperature their calculations (STCI, SVHI, SPEI). on soybean production better explained than (up 89% vs 8% explained) predictors SVHI-6 SPEI-6, depending area interest, were, phenological period growth most effective annual variations yields. results may be interest water resource management, risk Argentinean sector. Furthermore, they provide foundation future aimed forecasting