During the current agricultural season of 2020-2021, the north of Algeria represents a cereal vocation that begins around October practically in all regions (West, East, and center).period of growth of cereals included between February to May. The senescence and the beginning of harvest around mid-June characterize the end of the season. Generally, crop conditions in Algeria were below average compared to the previous five years.

The crop condition is related to weather condition because the main cultivated area is a dry cereal which depends on the rains and as the rains in Algeria are characterized by the variability of the rains and also by poor geographical distribution, that's why this parameter represented the main possible influencing factors for the below average compared to the previous five years.

In this context, this variability of rainfall produces a critical period corresponding to the growing season of wheat between mid-January and March witch has a decrease in the volume of rainfall up to January and the progressive increase in temperatures. For this reason at the local level, the farmers who have the capacity proceed to make the additional irrigation up to the middle of March to raise the problem of water stress in the growing season of cereals.

Agro-climatic indicators present generally slightly below average conditions with 3% to 6% lower rainfall, 1℃ higher temperature. Slightly below-average rainfall resulted in the decrease of potential biomass related to the 15YA. Regarding the national rainfall profiles, the 10-days accumulations of rainfall also show overall average conditions from December to January 2021. Rainfall in the north of Algeria ranged from 5 to 40 mm. largest rainfall departure from the 15YA was also observed in Dec and Oct with less rainfall. The temperature was overall close to average with 1.0 degrees lower than the 15YA. The spatial variation of precipitation is directly related to the spatial distribution of biomass, we note that the eastern area of Algeria is -20% below the average in red and the western area in blue almost +20% above the average. 

The crop condition development graph based on NDVI for Algeria presents slightly below-average values throughout the reporting period mainly because of low rainfall in Algeria. According to the Proportion of NDVI anomaly categories compared with 5YA and NDVI profiles, below-average conditions since October. Those areas mentioned above coincided with the areas with relatively low VCIx values (below 0.8). Distributed areas in the north of Algeria presented poor crop conditions. The best growing conditions are located in some regions in central and eastern Algeria. 

According to the NDVI profile, the CALF of 2021 represented that the mean regions in Algeria are uncropped as compared potential biomass departure from 5YA witch has an imported area under cultivation in the east région, that's why the NDVI values are below the average for the year 2021.

Figure 3.6 Algeria's crop condition, January - April 2021

Figure.1 Phenology map

Figure.2 Rainfall profile

Figure.3 Potential biomass departure from 5YA

Figure.4 Temprature profile

Figure.5 NDVI profile

Figure.6 VCImax

Figure.7 Proportion of NDVI anomaly categories compared with 5YA

Figure.8 the CALF of 2021