The reporting period covers late dormancy and post-dormancy to flowering of winter wheat. According to the regional NDVI profile, crop condition was generally below the 5-year average, although it improved gradually after mid-March. 

Rainfall was above average (RAIN +15%) and radiation and temperature were close to average (RADPAR -3%, and TEMP at +0.2 °C). Favorable weather conditions resulted in 11% above 15YA BIOMSS. The cropped arable land fraction remained at the same average level as the previous five years. 

According to the spatial NDVI profiles, values were close to average from mid-March to late April, except in Chongqing and neighboring areas in Eastern Sichuan, which recorded very low NDVI due to low RAIN (-7% and -9%, respectively). Average NDVI throughout the monitoring period was observed in western Guizhou and Yunnan, in spite of both precipitation and radiation being significantly above average (See Annex A.11). The maximum VCI reached 0.94, indicating the crop growth status at the peak of the growing season was  comparable with the previous five years.

The mixture of positive and negative departures of indicators show overall unfavorable crop condition.

Figure 4.12. Crop condition Southwest China region, January ‐ April 2019

(a) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI

(b) Spatial NDVI patterns compared to 5YA       (c) NDVI profiles

(d) Maximum VCI

(e) Biomass departure