During this monitoring period, winter wheat reached maturity in July. The planting of summer crops started in April and was completed by mid-May.  Based on the agroclimatic and agronomic indicators, the crop conditions in Germany were generally below the 5-year average between April and early June in most regions, and then close to and even above average in July.

At the national level, total precipitation was significantly above average (RAIN +40%), temperature was significantly below average (TEMP -1.3°C) and radiation was also below average (RADPAR -4%). As can be seen from the time series rainfall profile for Germany, Hesse, Thuringia, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony, Brandenburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Vorpomerania in Germany experienced above-average precipitation with the exception of late July and mid-June. Precipitation in Baden-Württemberg, southern Bavaria, southeastern North Rhineland-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany showed a fluctuating trend above and below average until mid-June, with significant below-average departures in late April, late May and mid-June. Starting from late June onwards, those regions experienced heavy precipitation events. Most of the country experienced cooler-than-usual conditions during this reporting period,  except for early and mid-June, in which a heatwave event swept across Germany. Due to the overall excessive precipitation combined with cooler-than-usual temperatures, the biomass production potential (BIOMSS) was estimated to decrease by 8% nationwide as compared to the fifteen-year average.

As shown in the crop condition development graph and the NDVI profiles at the national level, NDVI values were below the 5YA and last year's average until mid-June, then close to average and above average from late June to July. These observations are confirmed by the clustered NDVI profiles: 58.8% of regional NDVI values were below average from April to mid-June. Subsequently, 77.9% of regional NDVI values increased to be above average. These observations were also confirmed by lower VCI values in the spatial distribution of maximum VCI map due to the combined effects of precipitation and temperature. Overall VCIx for Germany was 0.94. CALF during the reporting period was the same as for the recent five-year average.

Generally, the agronomic indicators show near and above-average conditions for most winter and summer crops in Germany. The July floods had devastating effects in some areas. 

Regional analysis

Based on cropping systems, climatic zones, and topographic conditions, six sub-national agro-ecological regions are adopted for Germany. They include: the Wheat Zone of Schleswig-Holstein and the Baltic coast, Mixed Wheat and Sugar beet Zone of the Northwest, Central Wheat Zone of Saxony and Thuringia, Sparse Crop Area of the East-German Lake and Heathland area, Western Sparse Crop Area of the Rhenish Massif and the Bavarian Plateau.  

According to the CropWatch agroclimatic indicators, all six sub-national agro-ecological regions experienced the same trend of precipitation, temperature and RADPAR, compared to the average of the past 15 years. RAIN was significantly above average by 47%, 59%, 43%, 40%, 46% and 29%,  respectively; Temperature was significantly below average by 0.8°C, 1.2°C, 1.2°C, 1.1°C, 1.4°C and 1.5°C, respectively; RADPAR was below average by 3%, 5%, 5%, 4%, 6% and 2%, respectively. Due to excessive precipitation and cooler-than-usual conditions, the biomass production potential (BIOMSS) in the six sub-national agro-ecological regions was below average by 3%, 8%, 8%, 7%, 10% and 8%, respectively.

As shown in the crop condition development graph based on NDVI, all six sub-national agro-ecological regions had the same trend of change, that is, NDVI values were below the 5-year average between April and early June, and then close to average and above average during the remainder of this monitoring period.

CropWatch agronomic indicators show that CALF of all six regions reached 100%, with a zero departure from their 5YA. As mentioned above, they also recorded a favorable VCIx value at 0.92, 0.94, 0.93, 0.93, 0.93 and 0.96, respectively.

Figure 3.13. Germany’s crop condition, April-July 2021

Figure 3.13a. Phenology of major crops in Germany

Figure 3.13b. Crop condition development graph based on NDVI, comparing the April-July 2021 period to the previous season and the five-year average (5YA) and maximum

Figure 3.13c. Maximum VCI for the April-July 2021 period

Figure 3.13d. Spatial NDVI patterns for Germany up to July 2021 according to local cropping patterns and as compared to the 5YA (left) and (e) associated NDVI profiles (right)

Figure 3.13e. Proportion of NDVI anomaly categories compared with 5YA in Germany

Figure 3.13f. Proportion of VHIn categories compared with 5YA in Germany

Figure 3.13g. Time series rainfall profile (left) and temperature profile (right) of Germany comparing the April-July 2021 period to the previous season and the five-year average (5YA) and maximum

Figure 3.13h. Wheat zone of Schleswig-Holstein and the Baltic Coast crop condition development graph based on NDVI (left), time series rainfall profiles (middle) and temperature (right)

Figure 3.13i. Mixed wheat and sugarbeets zone of the north-west crop condition development graph based on NDVI (left), time series rainfall profiles (middle) and temperature (right)

Figure 3.13j. Central wheat zone of Saxony and Thuringia crop condition development graph based on NDVI (left), time series rainfall profiles (middle) and temperature (right)

Figure 3.13k. East-German lake and Heathland sparse crop area crop condition development graph based on NDVI (left), time series rainfall profile (middle) and  temperature (right)

Figure 3.15l. Western sparse crop area of the Rhenish massif crop condition development graph based on NDVI (left), time series rainfall profile (middle) and temperature (right)

Figure 3.13m. Bavarian Plateau crop condition development graph based on NDVI (left), time series rainfall profile (middle) and temperature (right)

Table 3.17. Germany agro-climatic indicators by sub-national regions, current season's values and departure from 15YA,  April-July 2021

Table 3.18. Germany agronomic indicators by sub-national regions, current season's value and departure from 5YA,  April-July 2021