Most parts of the Central Europe to Western Russia MPZ displayed average conditions of winter and summer crop (average VCIx=0.93). Temperature was globally somewhat warmer than average (TEMP +0.2°C), drier (RAIN -8%) and slightly more sunny (RADPAR  +2%). 

Eastern and southern areas of Western Russia received somewhat below average rainfall from April to June but marked excesses (over 60mm/dekad) at mid July. This applies to 11.5% of cropland in the MPZ, mostly to north-eastern Republic of Bashkortostan, eastern Saratov Oblast, eastern Krasnodar Kray, northern Stavropol Kray, and central Kalmyk Republic. Another 32.2% of arable lands in the MPZ recorded excess precipitation larger than 50mm/dekad in the middle of May, including Poland, most of Moldova, southern Ukraine, eastern Belarus, south-eastern and south-western Romania and, in Russia, the Oblasts of Ulyanov and Orenburg (mainly the East) and the Chuvash and Udmurt Republics.

The largest cold anomalies (about 5.4°C below average in mid-May) influenced mainly the East of western Russia, including the Oblasts of Nizhny Novgorod, Kirov and Perm and the Republics of Mari El and Udmurtia. In June and July the temperature anomaly became less severe being just 2.0°C below average. Unseasonably warm weather (about 4.7°C above average in mid-June) influenced mainly the western part of MPZ, including Poland, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine and most of southern Belarus.  

Almost all the arable land was cropped during the monitoring period (with a CALF value of 98%). Due to the average agro-climatic conditions at the scale of the whole MPZ, the accumulated potential biomass (BIOMASS) is slightly above average (+3%), indicating an overall average level. However, the northeastern part of Western Russia (northern Republic of Bashkortostan and Republic of Tatarstan) showed a BIOMASS drop between -20% and -10%, which deserves close monitoring in the next JASO reporting period.

On the whole, with most areas in the MPZ indicating average crop conditions and agro-climatic factors, prospects for crop production are promising - but spatially variable - in Central Europe to Western Russia.

Figure 2.6.Central Europe-Western Russia MPZ: Agroclimatic and agronomic indicators, April to July 2019.

a. Spatial distribution of rainfall profiles              b. Profiles of rainfall departure from average (mm)

c. Spatial distribution of temperature profiles     d. Profiles of temperature departure from average (mm)

e. Maximum VCI

f. Cropped arable land

g. Biomass accumulation potential departure

h. VHI minimum