In general, CropWatch indicators show that crop condition was below last year's during the reporting period, which covers heading, filling and the harvest of summer crops. Overall, weather conditions were favorable with rainfalls 22% above average, a slight temperature anomaly (-0.1°C) and a 1%drop in radiation compared to the average.

Maize and soybean are the major crops in the United States during the reporting period. Except for Indiana (-18 %) and Ohio (-15%), other major maize producing states received average or above average rainfall, including Illinois(+5%), Iowa (+43%), Kansas (+42%), Minnesota (+43%), Missouri (+77%), Nebraska(+88%) and Wisconsin (+18%). Since most maize is rain-fed in the United States,the potential biomass accumulation responds directly to rainfall, increasing by34%, 11%, 43%, 34% and 51% over the average of the previous five years,respectively, in Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Minnesota and Nebraska. In spite of favourable weather conditions, NDVI showed a negative departure in spring wheat production states, especially in North Dakota and Montana, which may have been caused by early drought. NDVI was below average in the main rice production in areas in the south-eastern United States, probably resulting in lower rice production this year.

Indicators are difficult to reconcile in the US this year: although biomass potential shows a 20% positive departure from the average of the last five years, CALF increased 1% and VCIx was 0.84, the NDVI development profiles show crop conditions below those last year. Low to average crop production can be expected in the United States this year.

 Figure 3.31. United Statescrop condition, July-October 2015

(a)Crop condition development graph based on NDVI                                (b) Maxiumum VCI

(c)Spatial NDVI patterns compared to 5YA                                                                  (d) NDVI profile