During the reporting period, the main crop in Southern China was late rice, which was harvested in November. Regionally, rainfall reached 234 mm, 31% lower than the average. The temperature and the radiation rose by 0.8℃ and 11% compared to the 15YA, respectively. The resulting BIOMSS was close to average (-3%). Since rainfall, temperature and radiation are non-linearly integrated into the BIOMSS model, the departures are not always consistent with sunlight (RADPAR), RAIN and TEMP departures at provincial level. Among those indicators, precipitation changes the most. In Guangdong and Fujian, precipitation dropped by 53% and 47% respectively compared to the 15YA. 

The cropped arable land fraction (CALF) in this region was 97%, which was close to average. The average VCIx of the Southern China region during the monitoring period was 0.96, and almost all regions presented above 0.80 VCIx. According to the spatial clusters of NDVI departure from average, most areas in southern China were slightly below average except for scattered areas in Yunnan province accounting for 18.2% fo the total cropland area in the region. The spatial distribution of biomass departures displayed a drop in this region, more significant reductions were noted in Guangxi. The conditions were mixed in the Yunnan province. Increases occurred in Guangdong, Fujian and some scattered areas in Yunnan and Guangxi. Overall, the mixture of positive and negative departures of indicators discussed above show generally unfavorable crop condition.

Figure 4.13 Crop condition Southern China region, October 2019 - January 2020.

（a) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI

 (b) Rainfall profile

(c) Temperature profile

(d) Spatial distribution of NDVI profiles               (e) NDVI profiles

(f) Maximum VCI

(g) Biomass