The development of El Niño 2026 is expected to intensify climate variability across the globe, reshaping rainfall patterns, temperatures and agricultural productivity.
In this second article, we focus on Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, regions where El Niño typically leads to drought, heat stress and disruption of seasonal rainfall systems.
👉 Don’t miss Part 1 of our El Niño 2026 series, where we explore its impacts across the Americas and the biosolutions strategies designed to address them.
Sub-Saharan Africa: drought risk and water efficiency
El Niño is expected to develop around October 2026, coinciding with the main cropping season in the region. This phenomenon is typically associated with below-normal rainfall, affecting crops such as maize, soybeans and pasture systems. To address these challenges, strategies focus on maximizing water availability and improving plant resilience under drought conditions using solutions such as H-85 and Humical, which improve soil water retention; Transformer, which enhances soil moisture distribution; Cosmoroot, which promotes root development; and Amino PK and Final K, which support plant water regulation, helping crops maintain physiological activity under stress conditions.
👉 Contact your local Rovensa Next technical team for tailored recommendations.
Asia: monsoon variability and multi-risk scenarios
Based on current forecasts, El Niño 2026 may affect several parts of Asia, although the exact intensity and effects may vary depending on how the phenomenon evolves in the coming months.
In general terms, El Niño conditions are often associated with changes in monsoon patterns, higher temperatures and increased climate variability, which can result in periods of drought, heat stress and erratic rainfall depending on the country.
In this context, crops may face challenges such as reduced soil moisture, lower crop establishment, increased abiotic stress and higher pest and disease pressure.
Potential impacts at country level could include:
- India: weaker monsoon patterns and potential drought conditions
- Indonesia: drought, with associated fire and haze risks
- Philippines and Thailand: heat and water scarcity
- Vietnam: drought alternating with periods of heavy rainfall
- Malaysia: drought and a possible reduction in photosynthetic efficiency due to haze
Biosolutions approach
To address these challenges, an integrated biosolutions strategy is recommended, focusing on soil health, water use efficiency and stress management by combining different complementary approaches.
Soil and water management is supported through humic-based solutions such as Humistar, Humifirst and H-85, together with Wiibio, which help improve soil structure and enhance water retention. Optimizing water efficiency is just as important, with Transformer contributing to better moisture distribution in the soil.
At root level, Turbo Root promotes stronger root systems, supporting more efficient water and nutrient uptake. Plant resilience is further boosted through stress management strategies, with Phylgreen and its Primactive effect supporting plant tolerance, while Delfan Plus and Vegenergy help plants respond to stress conditions.
In addition, nutritional support through foliar nutrition and micronutrients contributes to improving nutrient use efficiency, while reproductive performance is supported by calcium, boron and Phylgreen Mira, helping maintain flowering and fruit set under stress conditions.
👉 Local technical teams can help to design tailored programs adapted to specific crops and conditions.
Integrated Pest and Disease Management: the increasing role of biocontrol solutions
Beyond abiotic stress, El Niño conditions often lead to increased pest and disease pressure, as crops become more vulnerable in the face of drought, heat and erratic weather patterns.
In this context, biocontrol solutions are becoming a key component of sustainable crop management, playing a major role within Rovensa Next’s biosolutions programs. These solutions enable farmers to protect crops effectively while maintaining environmental balance and supporting long-term soil and ecosystem health.
Rovensa Next has a broad portfolio of high-performance biocontrol solutions, with a special focus on two strategic categories:
- Biofungicides, based on beneficial microorganisms and natural substances, help prevent and control fungal and bacterial diseases while preserving ecological balance. They provide both preventive and curative activity against key diseases such as powdery mildew and Venturia spp.
- Bioinsecticides, formulated with microorganisms, plant extracts and naturally occurring substances, offer effective control of insects and mites under challenging conditions, while supporting integrated pest management strategies.
In addition, certain biocontrol solutions can act as a natural protective shield, helping to enhance crop resilience under stress conditions, including orange oil solutions powered by Orowet technology, which provide broad-spectrum control and contribute to effective, residue-free crop protection.
By integrating biocontrol solutions with biostimulation and nutrition strategies, growers can:
- maintain crop protection under stress conditions.
- reduce pest and disease outbreaks.
- optimize crop performance and yield.
- support more sustainable and resilient farming systems.
This holistic approach is essential under El Niño scenarios, where multiple stress factors interact and require integrated, flexible and sustainable solutions.
From risk to resilience through biosolutions
Climate variability requires moving from reactive to preventive, integrated strategies to support more sustainable agriculture. In this context, Rovensa Next supports growers in improving resilience and maintaining productivity under stress conditions through integrated biosolutions programs. In line with this approach, Biosolutionize Agriculture, Rovensa Next’s science-backed campaign, shows how biosolutions help growers improve performance and profitability, reduce synthetic load and farm more sustainably across crops and climates worldwide.
El Niño 2026 reinforces the need for adaptation in agriculture. Across Africa and Asia, drought, heat and rainfall variability require targeted solutions.
Growers can reduce risk, protect yields and build long-term resilience by combining biosolutions, regional expertise and climate anticipation.
👉 Contact your Rovensa Next local technical team:
https://www.rovensanext.com/en/language-and-country
Sources and references
Figures:
1 Figure 1 – El Niño trends
https://www.fao.org/el-nino/en/
2 Drought stress response diagram
Sources:
1 BBC Mundo – “Super El Niño” (2026)
https://www.bbc.com/mundo/articles/cvgz4dx1yeno
2 BBC News – El Niño and La Niña explained
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj97npgk92po
3 FAO – El Niño overview and impacts
https://www.fao.org/el-nino/en/
4 Euronews – Super El Niño and climate extremes
https://www.euronews.com/2026/03/31/a-super-el-nino-inside-the-weather-phenomenon-that-could-send-temperatures-soaring
5 United Nations University – El Niño in a warming world
https://unu.edu/ehs/article/what-el-nino-and-why-does-it-matter-warming-world
6 National Geographic – El Niño impacts
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/super-el-nino-extreme-weather-climate
7 FAO Open Knowledge – El Niño regional impacts
https://openknowledge.fao.org/items/b1c36f0b-a6df-4e3d-83b1-8e6448de6efe
8 New York Times – El Niño and global warming
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/04/climate/el-nino-global-warming.html
9 WMO – ENSO overview
https://wmo.int/topics/el-nino-la-nina
