Summer crops have been harvested and winter crops (winter wheat, winter barley, and rapeseed) have been planted during the current reporting period. According to crop condition graph, NDVI values were below average from October to end of December. Agroclimatic indicators show that rainfall and temperature for the country were below average (RAIN, -13.2%, TEMP, -1.4°C) and radiation and biomass were slightly above average (RADPAR, +2.8%, BIOMSS, +0.8%). The NDVI departure cluster profiles indicate below average values in 47.7% of arable land including East Midlands (Lincolinshire), East Angelia (Northampton,Bedford, Cambridge, Huntingdon and northern of Norfolk), Southwest (Conrwall),West (Oxford, Wilt), and South (Berk) and slightly above average values in 46.4% Yorkshire and South west ( Somerset, Dorset) from November to January. The national average VCIx was good 0.91, and the cropped arable land fraction slightly decreased by 0.4% compared to its five-year average.

Regional analysis

Based on cropping systems, climatic zones, and topographic conditions,three sub-national regions Central sparse crop region, Northern barley region, and Southern mixed wheat and barley region can be distinguished. Central sparse and Southern sub-regions characterized by unchanged fractions of arable land (CALF), and increased by 1% in the Northern Barley region compared to 5 years average.

The central sparse crop region is one of the country's major agricultural regions in terms of crop production. Agroclimatic conditions include rainfall was below average (RAIN -11%),temperature and radiation were slightly below to average (TEMP,-1.3°C,RADPAR, -0.6%), separately.  NDVI values were below the five-year maximum according to the region's crop condition development graph in October to late December, above average in January. The VCIx was good at 0.95.

In the main barley region NDVI was above average according to the crop condition graphs in this reporting period. Compared to the fifteen-year average, rainfall (RAIN, -16%) and temperature (TEMP, -1.5°C) were below average, biomass was above average (BIOMSS, +3%), and radiation was unchanged to average. The national VCIx with 0.95.

In the southern mixed wheat and barley zone, NDVI was below average according to the crop condition graph in this period. Rainfall, temperature and biomass (RAIN, -12%, TEMP, -1.3°C, BIOMSS, -1%) was below average, radiation(RADPAR, +5.7%) were above average during this reporting period. The region hadabove average VCIx (0.89), although less so than the other regions. 

(a). Phenology of major crops

(b) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI         (c) Maximum VCI

(d) Spatial NDVI patterns compared to 5YA                         (e) NDVI profiles

(f) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI (Sparse crop area of N England, Wales and N. Ireland (left) and Barley area in Scotland (right)) 

(g) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI (South mixed wheat and Barley zone) 

Table 3.37. United Kingdom’s agroclimatic indicators by sub-national regions, current season's values and departure from 15YA, October 2018 - January 2019

Table 3.38. United Kingdom’s agronomic indicators by sub-national regions, current season's values and departure from 5YA, October 2018 - January 2019