The reporting period covers the flowering and maturity of winter wheat in southwestern China. Summer crops (including semi-late rice, late rice and maize) are still growing. According to the regional NDVI profile, crop condition was generally below the 5-year average. 

Rainfall and radiation were both below average (RAIN - 6%, RADPAR -7%) , and temperature was close to average (TEMP + 0.1 °C). The resulting BIOMSS is 7% below average as well. 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 April to July, except in Chongqing and neighboring areas in Northern Yunnan, which recorded very low NDVI due to low RAIN  from June to July (-11% and -12%, respectively). Average NDVI throughout the monitoring period was observed in western Sichuan and Guizhou, in spite of both precipitation and radiation being significantly above average (See Annex A.11). The maximum VCI reached 0.94 at the peak of the growing season. The value is  comparable with the previous five years.

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

Figure 4.12 Crop condition Southwest China region, April - July 2019

(a) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI

(a) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI     (c) NDVI profiles

(d) Maximum VCI

(e) Biomass departure