The South and Southeast Asia MPZ covers a rather large and in homogeneous region. The time profiles in figure 2.1 basically show two seasons. The first is a season of winter crops and irrigated dry-season crops planted around October-November 2012 in the north of the area, where rainfall seasonality and winter is well marked. The second is the monsoon period during the summer of 2013.

Table 2.1 South and Southeast Asia MPZ:Cropping intensity, uncultivated arable land, and potential biomass ratio

Note: The normalized trend is the 2002-2013 trend normalized by dividing it by the eleven-year average. Significance level of the trend is *for p<=0.05 and ** for p<=0.01.

Both UAL and the PBR undergo statistically significant changes at the medium-range scale in the region, decreasing for UAL and increasing for PBR, indicating the dynamic nature of agriculture. Compared withthe average of the last five years, the decreasing trend continues this season,while a minor deterioration is observed for the PBR (average 0.874, this year-0.018). Cropping intensities in South and South-East Asia are among thehighest in the world, with many areas onaverage growing two crops on the same land; this mainly occurs in the southernmost areas, which benefit from favorable temperature and (usually)rainfall conditions throughout the year. Compared with the previous five years,cropping intensity increased almost 1 percentage point. As shown in table 2.1and figure 2.1a, showing cropped and uncropped arable land, areas where land isleft uncultivated are negligible.

Analysis of environmental indices indicates rainfall and PAR have respectively increased ‘very significantly’ and ‘significantly’ over the last twelve years, while no temperature trend is discerned. For the current season, rainfall and temperature are generally about average, while PAR deceased by about 10 percent.

Rainfall conditions were close to average in India and continental Southeast Asia during the winter season and slightly above average during the monsoon, except in large areas of Thailand and Myanmar where Augustwas characterized by a marked unseasonal drop in rainfall. The southernmostpart of the MPZ was characterized by large rainfall variability. A very wetwinter season was recorded in southern Thailand and Luzon.

Temperature was significantly above average in continental Southeast Asia during most of last year, while winter was cold north of northern Rajasthan and an area centered on Bihar and West Bengal. MadhyaPradesh and Uttar Pradesh suffered unseasonably high temperatures in May.

Biomass, which integrates most of the factors above, shows mostly stable conditions over the medium term, with local improvements incentral Thailand, northern central India, and particularly in western coastalIndia.

The VHI and biomass indicators describe similar situationsfor areas in both central and northwest India and areas in central continental South-East Asia for the current season. For the first region, both indicatorspoint to favorable conditions, while for the second region both indicateconditions are unfavorable. The biomass index associates a drop in productivityin northeast India with below-average temperatures during the first season.

In the southernmost equatorial areas, regions that benefit from rainfall throughout the year (e.g., south Sumatra and part of the Philippines) show higher cropping intensities. In this area, seasonalit ypatterns are blurred by local conditions (including topography).

Figure 2.1 Environmental and crop productionindices for South and South-East Asia MPZ

e. VHI departure from the previous five years for period indicated in f.VHI Profile

g. Rainfall departure from the previous five years for period indicatedin h.  Rainfall profile

i. Temperature departure from the previous five years for periodindicated in j.temprature profile