In Romania, the winter wheat harvest starts in July, while summer crops are planted from May. These include maize, sunflower, some fruits and vegetables, fodder, soybeans, rapeseed, potatoes, and pulses; which in the south are mostly irrigated (with the exception of temporary fodder). Romania presented favorable crop condition from April to July (VCIx=0.98). Overall, temperature (TEMP) was average with a minor rainfall anomaly (RAIN, +13%), a positive biomass production potential (BIOMSS, +8%), and lower than average sunshine (RADPAR, -1%).

As shown in the national crop condition development graph, NDVI rather closely followed the maximum of the previous five years from April to May, while after May the NDVI suddenly declined compared to both the five-year maximum and five-year average, following the trend of 2014-2015 up to the end of the reporting period. In most parts of southern, southeast, central, and northwest Romania, crop condition is above average (VCIx 0.8-1.0 and >1.0), except for some small patches in southern and northwest Romania which had average condition (VCIx 0.5-0.8). In some parts of the country, for instance in the south and southeast (VCIx 0.8-1.0 and >1.0 range), the NDVI profile is consistently and significantly average (that is, 0.29 since April), while suddenly declining at the end of April up to the start of July, reaching low NDVI values (that is, <0.0) in 10.5% of the cropped area.

In the west and some patches in the south where VCIx is 0.8-1.0, about 32.8% of cropland had a marked drop of NDVI after the end of April, reaching a low but nevertheless positive NDVI departure. This is also the only area, along the Hungarian border, where the biomass production potential shows positive departures from the recent average. Located in parts of the northeast and in the center, about 33.3% of cropped areas had a marked drop of NDVI after the end of April reaching average NDVI until the start of July. Considering the summer conditions, and the fact that CALF remained average, summer crop prospects are average.

(a) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI

(b) Maximum VCI

(c) Spatial NDVI patterns compared to 5YA

(d) NDVI profiles