(a) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI

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

(d) Maximum VCI                                                                     (e) Biomass

Crop condition in Huanghuaihai was below the recent five-year average. Currently, crops in the region are mainly winter wheat, which was harvested in June, while maize was planted in April and is still growing. As shown by the NDVI development graph, crop condition was generally average during April and May, but sharply declined in early June and up to July (when compared with both the five-year average and the previous year), which may be related to the low temperature (TEMP, -0.5°C) and radiation (RADPAR, -5%). In spite of this, favorable climatic conditions with 14% above average precipitation provided adequate soil moisture for crops and led to an increase in the biomass potential (BIOMSS, +20%). BIOMSS was favorable across the region with the exception of eastern Shandong. Over the last four months, crop conditions were below average in Henan, western Shandong, and other scattered regions around Bohai bay where VCIx values consistently below 0.5 were observed. Prospects for winter crops are mixed.