The reporting period includes the harvest of the 2020 maize crop and the planting of the 2020-2021 winter wheat, which started in September. Overall, crop conditions were favorable. The agroclimatic indicators showed that rainfall was 17% higher than average; TEMP was higher by 1.0°C. RADPAR was 11% lower than average and led to the small decrease of biomass, which was 1% lower than average. The nationwide NDVI profile shows that crop conditions were above average in October, but then went below average in December. Snow cover may have caused the drop in NDVI in December and January. The temperature was below average in November and the first dekad of December. Rainfall was lower than average during November, but increased to above-average levels in late December and January.

Regional analysis

More spatial detail is provided below for the three main agro‐ecological zones: the Central mixed farming and pasture Carpathian hills (160), the Eastern and southern maize, wheat and sugar beet plains (161) and the Western and central maize, wheat and sugar beet plateau (162).

For the Central mixed farming and pasture Carpathian hills, compared to the 15YA, radiation decreased by 10%, while temperature and rainfall were both up (TEMP +0.9°C, RAIN +15%) and BIOMSS decreased by 3%. According to the NDVI development graph, crop conditions were above average in November and December. The regional average VCI maximum was at 0.98. Regional CALF was 99% and 4% higher than average. The NDVI spatial distribution shows that NDVI was fair throughout the reporting period.  Since this zone occupies only a small fraction of cropland in Romania, its fair NDVI does not represent much of Romania's crop production.

For the Eastern and Southern maize, wheat and sugar beet plains, rain increased 24%, temperature increased by 1.2°C, radiation decreased 10% and biomass increased 2% as compared to the 15YA. The NDVI development graph shows that crop conditions were below average in December. Regional CALF was 92% and 21% higher than average. VCI max value of this region was 0.96 and according to the distribution map, VCI values were below 0.8 in the southeast area of this sub-region (counties of Tulcea and Constanta), representing about 14.3% of the national cropland.

For the Western and central maize, wheat and sugar beet plateau, radiation was lower than average by 12%, temperature and rainfall were higher (TEMP +0.6°C, RAIN +7%) and biomass decreased by 6%. Spatial NDVI profiles show that crop conditions were above average in October and December. Regional CALF was 99% and 9% higher than average. Maximum VCI of this region was 0.94, and the spatial distribution was between 0.8 and 1.0. The spatial NDVI distribution shows that NDVI in most of this sub-region had a small rising trend during October to December (green and blue line).

Overall, crop conditions were favorable in Romania during this reporting period due to the good precipitation conditions.

Figure 3.37 Romania’s crop condition, October 2020 - January 2021

(a) Phenology of major crops

(b) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI (c)  Maximum VCI

(d) Spatial NDVI patterns compared to 5YA        (e) NDVI profiles

(f) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI (Central mixed farming and pasture Carpathian hills (left) and Eastern and southern maize, wheat and sugarbeet plains (right))

(g) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI (Western and central maize, wheat and sugar beet plateau)

(h) Rainfall index                                                (i) Temperature index

Table 3.63 Romania's agroclimatic indicators by sub-national regions, current season’s values and departure from 15YA, October 2020-January 2021

Table 3.64 Romania's agronomic indicators by sub-national regions, current season’s values and departure from 5YA, October 2020-January 2021