During this monitoring period, maize and soybean are the main summer crops in Inner Mongolia. Generally, the conditions were average. 

Overall RAIN was above average (+24%). However, there was a 20 day period of below-average rainfall in late July and early August. That period is critical for the pollination of maize and soybean.  TEMP was below average by 0.7°C, and RADPAR was below average by 7%. The resulting BIOMSS dropped to below average as well (-8%).

The NDVI development graph indicates below-average crop condition from June to mid-August. In early July and August, about 30.4% of the region was below average, particularly in central and eastern Inner Mongolia, central Ningxia, northern Shaanxi and western Liaoning, which suffered from different degrees of drought. Thereafter, crop conditions improved and reached— and sometimes exceeded — the maximum of the 5YA from late August to September. Favorable rainfall in mid-August boosted crop growth, clearly shown by above-average NDVI and confirmed by the spatial NDVI patterns and profiles in most of the areas mentioned above. Unfavorable condition persisted on 14.5% of the region until the end of September. This is also confirmed by lower maximum VCI values in those regions. After September, as crops were reaching maturity, weather conditions had limited effects on crop yield. CALF in this region reached 97%, which was above average by 2%, as compared to the 5YA. 

On the whole, the Inner Mongolia is expected to have average or slightly below-average crop production.

Figure 4.7a. China Inner Mongolia crop condition development graph based on NDVI, comparing the current season up to October 2020 to the previous season, to the five-year average (5YA), and to the five-year maximum

Figure 4.7b. China Inner Mongolia spatial NDVI patterns for July to October 2020 (compared to the 5YA) (left) and (c) NDVI profiles associated with these spatial patterns (right)

Figure 4.7d China Inner Mongolia maximum VCI, July to October 2020

Figure 4.7e China Inner Mongolia biomass, July to October 2020

Figure 4.7f Time series rainfall profile in China Inner Mongolia, July to October 2020