Crops showed generally favorable condition during the reporting period. Currently,wheat, winter barley, and rapeseed are in the vegetative stages. Agroclimatic indicators show that rainfall and biomass were below average (RAIN, -15%) and biomass (BIOMSS, -3%) with close to average temperature (TEMP,0.2°C), radiation (RADPAR) is marked increased by 6.2%. Biomass decreased the recent fifteen-year average due to a shortage rainfall.  As shown by the NDVI profiles, the national NDVI values were higher than average from late January to February and March and April, but they dropped twice which are late February and late April. According to the crop condition development graph, NDVI values were above average only 37.6% including East Lothian, Berwick, Northumberland, Durham and most of Yorkshire,some area of Lincoln, Suffolk, Essex and Warwick, Worcester, Buckingham,Hertford and Surrey.  62% of the region qualified below average crop condition at the time of reporting in Rutland,Cambridge, southern part of Lincoln, Nottingham, and Fife, Perth, Angus,Kincardine, and South west region (Cornwall, Oxfort, Berk and Wilt). The VCIx was good at 0.99 and area of cropped arable land fraction (CALF) is unchanged compared to its five-year average.

Regional analysis

CropWatch has adopted three agro-ecological zones (AEZ) to provide a more detailed spatial analysis for the country; they include the Central sparse crop region (covering northern England, Wales, and Northern Ireland), the Northern barley region (Scotland and northern England), and the Southern mixed wheat and barley region (southern England). The Southern mixed wheat and barley region is characterized by unchanged fraction of cultivated arable land (CALF) compared to average. In the Central sparse crop area and the Northern barley region CALF increased by 1%.

In the Central sparse crop area and the Northern barley region CALFincreased by 1%. The area is one of the country's major agriculturalregions in terms of crop production. Agroclimatic conditions include below average rainfall (-5%), above average TEMP (+0.2°C) and RADPAR(+3%), which resulted in  above average BIOMSS (+4%). NDVIvalues were above average according to the region’s crop condition development graph from January to February but NDVI was below average in late February and March. The VCIx was unusually high at 1.02.

In the main barley region, the NDVI was below average according to the crop condition graphs from January to late February, and above average in March to late April. Compared to average, RAIN was low (down 17%), the temperature was close to average (+0.2°C) and radiation was above (+5%).The biomass production potential was up 5% compared to average. The VCIx was very hight at 1.00.

In the third region, the southern mixed wheat and barley region, NDVI was close to average but dropped in late April. Agroclimatic conditions include RAIN -21%, relatively close to average TEMP (+0.2°C) and rather high radiation (+8%). The regional VCIx (0.97) was well above average.

(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 Northern Barley region (right)) 

(g) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI (Southern mixed wheat and Barley region) 

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

Table 3.38. United Kingdom’s agronomic indicators by sub-national regions, current season's values and departure from 15YA/5YA, January - April 2019