Winter wheat, maize, peanut and soybean are the main crops that grew in this monitoring period (April to July 2023) in Huanghuaihai. Agro-climatic indicators showed that precipitation (+27%), and temperature (+0.6°C) in this area were above the 15YA, but radiation (-3%) was below. As a result of these indicators, an increase in crop biomass production potential was estimated (BIOMSS+11%). Below-average BIOMSS was located in northern Shandong and eastern Hebei. The CALF was unchanged in 5YA.

According to the NDVI development graph, crop growth was favorable since April, and even exceeded the maximum in mid-May due to sufficient rainfall and above-average temperatures. However, persistent precipitation occurred in the main production areas during the wheat ripening period, which led to yield damage and further delayed sowing of autumn grains and below-average crop growth. As the NDVI departure clustering map showed, the whole region generally experienced poor conditions after June. 23.6% of the cropland was always below the average, widely located in western and northern Shandong, and northern Anhui (yellow color in the NDVI departure clustering map), especially cropland in Beijing was severely affected by flooding in late July. Only 11.8% of the cropped area concentrated in eastern Hebei trended above average before June.  Crop conditions in eastern Henan and northern Anhui (accounting for 18.9% of the total area) began to improve starting mid-April due to the abundant rainfall and were higher than the average. However, the harvest of winter wheat in late May and early was negatively affected by frequent rainfall. This caused a drop in wheat quality. 

The maximum VCI value was 0.83, and the Crop Production Index (CPI) is 1.0. Overall, crop conditions were average during the period.

(a) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI 

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

(d)Time series rainfall profile

(e)Time series temperature profile

(f) Maximum VCI

(g) Biomass departure