The reporting period includes the harvest of the 2021 maize crop and the planting of the 2021-2022 winter wheat, which started in September. The agroclimatic indicators show that rainfall was 5% lower than average; TEMP was near average. RADPAR was 2% higher than average and biomass was 1% lower than average. The nationwide NDVI profile shows that crop conditions were below average during most of the reporting period. Romania had suffered from a rainfall deficit during the previous monitoring period. The rainfall deficit continued well into November. The moisture conditions improved in December only, when rainfall reached above-average conditions. All in all, conditions in Romania are below average.

Regional analysis

More spatial detail is provided below for the three main agro-ecological zones: the Central mixed farming and pasture Carpathian hills, the Eastern and southern maize, wheat and sugar beet plains and the Western and central maize, wheat and sugar beet plateau.

For the Central mixed farming and pasture Carpathian hills, compared to the 15YA, radiation increased by 2%, rainfall increased by 2% while temperature decreased 0.2℃ and BIOMSS decreased by 2%. According to the NDVI development graph, crop conditions were below average during the reporting period except for early January. The regional average maximum VCI was at 0.91. Regional CALF was 99% and 3% higher than average. The NDVI spatial distribution shows that NDVI was fair throughout the reporting period.  However, this zone occupies only a small fraction of cropland in Romania.

For the Eastern and Southern maize, wheat and sugar beet plains, rainfall largely decreased by 13%, temperature increased by 0.2℃, radiation increased 1% and biomass decreased 1% as compared to the 15YA. The NDVI development graph shows that crop conditions were below average before late December and above average in January. Regional CALF was only 78% and 2% lower than average. Maximum VCI value of this region was 0.79 and according to the distribution map, VCI values were below 0.80 in the southeast area of this sub-region (counties of Tulcea and Constanta), representing about 14.3% of the national cropland.

For the Western and central maize, wheat and sugar beet plateau, radiation was higher than average by 4%, temperature was 0.3℃ lower and rainfall was 1% higher and biomass increased by 1%. Spatial NDVI profiles show that crop conditions were around average in October and December but far below average in late January. Those negative departures were probably due to cloud cover, fog or snow. Regional CALF was 97%, 6% higher than average. Maximum VCI of this region was 0.93, and the spatial distribution was between 0.8 and 1.0 in most of the subregion areas. The spatial NDVI distribution shows that NDVI in most of this sub-region followed the long-term trend from October to December.

Figure Romania’s crop condition, October 2021 - January 2022

(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 (Central mixed farming and pasture Carpathian hills (left) and Eastern and southern maize, wheat and sugarbeet plains (right))

(g) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI (Western and central maize, wheat and sugar beet plateau)

(h) Rainfall index                                                (i) Temperature index

Table 3.63 Romania's agroclimatic indicators by sub-national regions, current season’s values and departure from 15YA, October 2021-January 2022

Table 3.64 Romania's agronomic indicators by sub-national regions, current season’s values and departure from 5YA, October 2021-January 2022