By the end of this monitoring period, summer crops had been harvested and winter wheat was being sown. According to the crop condition development graph, crops experienced average conditions except July, when they were below or above the 5YA. NDVI values were close to average from August to October. Agro-climatic indicators show that rainfall, temperature and radiation were above average (RAIN, +2%, TEMP +0.6℃, RADPAR +1%), and favorable agro-climatic conditions resulted in an above-average BIOMSS (+7%).  The seasonal RAIN profile shows that the rainfall was fluctuating in the monitoring period as compared to the 15 year average. The second half of August and September were below average, but October was close to the 15 year maximum. The temperature was close to the 15YA in most of the time and above average in mid-July, late July and early September. 

The national average VCIx was 0.95. CALF (100%) was unchanged compared to its five-year average. The NDVI departure cluster profiles indicate that: (1) 73.6% of arable land experienced average crop conditions, mainly in the south and east of UK. (2) 26.4% of arable land experienced a marked drop in July and August, then recovered to average conditions, mainly in the southeast and northeast of the UK. Most likely, the large drops can be attributed to cloud cover in the satellite images. Altogether, the conditions in the UK are assessed as average.

Regional analysis

Based on cropping systems, climatic zones, and topographic conditions, three sub-national regions are described below: Northern barley region, Central sparse crop region and Southern mixed wheat and barley region. All three sub-regions are characterized by an unchanged fraction of arable land (CALF) compared to the 5YA.

In the northern barley region, NDVI was close to average except late July. Rainfall was below average (RAIN -7%), temperature (TEMP +0.9℃)  and radiation (RADPAR +2%) were above average. Above-average temperature and radiation resulted in above-average biomass (+5%). This region is cultivated with a mixture of single and double cropping systems, and the CI (-1%)  was slightly below average, while the VCIx was at 0.96.

The Central sparse crop region is one of the country's major agricultural regions in terms of crop production.  Crop condition development graph based on NDVI is similar to the northern barley region. Rainfall was close to average, temperature (TEMP +0.8℃)  and radiation (RADPAR +0.5%) were above average. Above-average temperature and radiation resulted in above-average biomass（BIOMSS +4%). This region is cultivated with a mixture of single and double cropping systems, and the CI (+1%) was slightly above average, while the VCIx was at 0.95.

In the Southern mixed wheat and barley zone, NDVI was overall close to average. This region experienced the largest rainfall excess (RAIN  +13%), temperature (TEMP +0.3°C)  and radiation  (RADPAR +0.7%) were above average. The favourable agro-climatic conditions resulted in the remarked above-average biomass (BIOMSS +12%). This region is cultivated with a mixture of single and double cropping systems, and the CI (+3%) was above average. The region had an above-average VCIx (0.95).

Figure 3.17 United Kingdom crop condition, July‐October 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) Time series rainfall profile (left) and temperature profile (right) 

(g) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI (Northern Barley region (left) and Central sparse crop region  (right))

(h) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI (Southern mixed wheat and Barley zone)

Table 3.25 United Kingdom's agro-climatic indicators by sub-national regions, current season's values and departure from 15YA, July ‐October 2021

Table 3.26 United Kingdom's  agronomic indicators by sub-national regions, current season's values and departures from 5YA, July ‐October 2021