CropWatch agro-climatic and agronomic indicators describearound average conditions over most of the region during the reporting period(figure 4.10).  The harvest of springcrops was concluded in October, while summer crops (including maize, rice andsoybean) reached the grain filling to maturity stages from August to lateSeptember. As shown in the spatial NDVI patterns, compared to their recentfive-year average and the corresponding cluster profiles, most (65.7%) cropswere in average condition except east of Liaoning province.  Significantly below average rainfall stressedcrops in most of Liaoning province (-43%) and NDVI was well below the five-yearaverage in the small area of the Liaodong peninsula. In the east ofHeilongjiang province, NDVI also shows poor condition of crops due to thedeficit of rain (-13%). However in the west of Jilin and Heilongjiangprovinces, the crop condition was around and even better than average. However,more than half of the area suffered from a decreased biomass productionpotential (below -20%) when compared to the five-year average. The outputexpected from the region is average.

Figure4.10. Crop condition China Northeast region, July-October 2015

 (a) Crop condition development graph based onNDVI

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

(d) Maximum VCI                             (e) Biomass