The reporting interval (July - October) covers only a part of irrigated maize harvested in July; no cereal crops are grown during this monitoring period (a slack season). The sowing of winter wheat starts in November. The cumulative rainfall was 38 mm, which is lower than the 15-year average (15YA) by 56%. The rainfall profile shows that the rainfall fell mainly during mid-September (> 20 mm). The average temperature was 22.9°C, which was higher than the 15YA by only 0.2°C. The temperature profile fluctuated around the average.

Regional analysis

CropWatch adopts three agro‐ecological zones (AEZs) relevant to crop production in Morocco: the Sub-humid northern highlands, the Warm semiarid zone, and the Warm sub-humid zone. For the three zones in their listed order, respectively, rainfall was below the 15YA by 52%, 66%, and 49%; the temperature was higher than the 15YA by 0.3°C, 0.1°C, 0.2°C; RADPAR was higher than the 15YA by 3%, 4%, 3%; and BIOMSS were below the 15YA by 26%, 30%, 19%. Generally, the NDVI development graph shows that crop conditions were around the average in the three zones. The cropped arable land fraction (CALF) was below the 5YA by 3% and 25%, 10%, accordingly, the Maximum VCI value was 0.58, 0.59, 0.58 for the three zones in their listed order, implying the near-average conditions. Cropping Intensity estimates were at 104%, 101%, and 105% for the three zones in their listed order, respectively, indicating all regions dominated by single cropping during the investigation period.  

Figure 3.27 Morocco’s 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) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI (Sub-humid northern highlands) and (g) Warm semiarid zones ) 

(h) crop condition development graph based on NDVI, Warm subhumid zones.

(i) Time series profile of rainfall  （j)Time series profile of temperature

Table 3.45 Morocco’s agroclimatic indicators by sub-national regions, current season's values and departure from 15YA, July - October 2021

Table 3.46 Morocco’s agronomic indicators by sub-national regions, current season’s values and departure from 15YA/5YA, July - October 2021