Climate at the Agronomic Experimental Station of UFRGS, Eldorado do Sul, RS State, Brazil

Abstract

Knowledge of regional climate is essential for agricultural planning and agricultural research, supporting the definition of management practices, crop selection, and sowing dates. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize the climatic conditions of the Agronomic Experimental Station of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), located in Eldorado do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, using data collected from 1995 to 2024. The analyzed variables included air temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, wind speed, frost occurrence, and the climatological water balance. The annual mean air temperature was 18.9 °C, with the highest monthly value recorded in January (24.4 °C). Relative humidity showed an inverse pattern to temperature, ranging from 77 % to 85 % throughout the year. The average annual precipitation was 1.515 mm, with the highest accumulations occurring during spring. Mean wind speed was also higher in spring, reaching 1.9 m s⁻¹. Frost events were concentrated during winter, averaging 17 days per year. The climatological water balance indicated water surplus from May to October and water deficit from December to March, with the greatest deficit occurring in January. These results provide valuable information for agricultural planning and agrometeorological studies in the region.