During the monitoring period, the harvest of wheat and early rice was almost concluded, whereas spring maize reached maturity. The rainfall was 16% lower than the average level for the entire region, with -33% in Guangdong, -12% in Guangxi, -34% in Fujian and +20% in Yunnan. The precipitation of Guangdong, Guangxi and Yunnan exceeded 1000 mm while Fujian recorded just 900 mm. According to the rainfall profiles, the rainfall was above the fifteen-year average in the second half of May to early June, but below average in mid-to-late July. The average temperature and CALF in Southern China were close to average. 

BIOMSS was up (+6%), and so was RADPAR (+5%). In Fujian, Guangdong and Guangxi, the biomass increased (+15%, +13% and +6%, respectively) while it decreased in Yunnan (-4%). At the provincial level, the change of biomass was consistent with RADPAR. Meanwhile, less rain in June and July is more conducive to the filling and harvest of summer crops, which also promotes the increase of BIOMSS. The average VCIx of the Southern China region during the monitoring period was 0.92, and most regions presented VCIx above 0.80, except for scattered areas in Yunnan province. The above-mentioned patterns are confirmed by the NDVI departure cluster map. It shows that the crop growth in Yunnan was below the average level for most of the monitoring period.

In conclusion, the weather conditions were favorable for summer crop yield. CropWatch will keep tracking the agroclimatic and agronomic conditions in the future months.

Figure 4.17 Crop condition China Southern region, April - July 2020

(a) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI

(b) Time series rainfall profile

(c) Time series temperature profile

(d) Maximum VCI

(e) Potential biomass departure from 5YA

(f)  Spatial NDVI patterns compared to 5YA  (g) NDVI profiles