The monitoring period covers the harvest of winter crops, the full cycle of spring wheat, and the early and mid-season stages of summer crops. Favorable crop condition was observed in the region from the Canadian prairie to the Great Plains, while in the eastern part of the Corn Belt suffered significantly below average crop condition. 

The precipitation in North America was 30% above the average, while the temperature and radiation were 0.7℃ and 2% below the average. The Canadian prairie and northern Great Plains recorded moderate precipitation deficits in May (10 mm), at a time when the lower Mississippi had a somewhat larger deficit of 30mm. The negative precipitation and positive temperature that resulted in drought conditions in the Canadian Prairie and the Corn belt that is well captured by the minimum vegetation health index map.

The Corn belt received abundant precipitation, especially in May, when the precipitation exceeded average by 30 mm and temperature was cooler than average by 2.0 ℃

Early May is the major sowing window for summer crops. Fortunately, the precipitation recovered to above average from late May and offset the impact of the previous drought with wet and warm conditions accelerating the growth of summer crops and improving their condition in the Canadian Prairie and the northern Great Plains. favorable crop condition also prevailed in the southern Great Plains.

It is worth noting that the eastern Corn Belt continued presenting significantly below average crop condition even after precipitation recovered to normal from June. As a major soybean and maize producing zone, the Corn Belt will need close monitoring during the next monitoring period. 

The cropped arable land fraction reached to 97% (2% above the recent average) and VCIx at 0.92 indicate mostly favorable crop condition, with the mentioned exception of the  eastern Corn Belt.  

Figure.X Spatial distribution of rainfall profiles

Figure.X Spatial distribution of temperature profiles

Figure.X Potential biomass departure from 5YA

Figure.X Maximum VCI

Figure.X VHI Minimum