This current monitoring period covers the sowing and the first half of the growing season of the main crops in the northeast of China (April to July 2020). CropWatch Agroclimatic Indicators (CWAIs) revealed that all agroclimatic indicators were slightly below the average level. Precipitation was above the average level before July, but it was generally lower in July, resulting in a slight decrease of 1% in the accumulative precipitation from April to July. The photosynthetically active radiation was lower by 4% and the temperatures were also lower (-0.3 °C). Especially in late April, temperatures were significantly lower than usual. From early May to mid-June, the temperatures were close to the average level and significantly lower than average in late June. Biomass in most areas in northeast China was below average level,. Only a few areas in southern Jilin and northern Liaoning were slightly above average level, and the overall potential biomass was 2% below average. 

In general, the crop conditions during the monitoring period were close to average level. The maximum VCI in the northeast of China showed that the low value areas were mainly distributed in western Liaoning province, northwestern Jilin province, eastern part of Inner Mongolia and the southwest part of Heilongjiang province and a small part of eastern Heilongjiang province. By mid-July, positive departures were observed for all provinces of the Northeast of China. 

Figure 4.11 Crop condition for China Northeast region, April - July 2020

(a) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI

(b) Spatial distribution of NDVI profiles

(c) Time series temperature profile

(d) Time series rainfall profile

(e) Potential biomass departure from 5YA

(f) Maximum VCI