We need to exchange the titles of the figures. "Maximum VCI" should be written under the figure titled "Spatial NDVI patterns..." and opposite. 

In Poland, meteorological conditions were variable during the reporting period. In July, precipitation totals were above average, locally reaching the fifteen-year maximum in the second ten-day period of the month. The precipitation hampered the cereals’harvest in the majority of areas. Dry conditions prevailed from the middle of August until the end of September, and some areas recorded no rain at all in September. This weather benefited sugar beet and maize maturity and final yield. Due to over-dried soils, winter crops sowing was postponed in central and southwestern areas. Abundant precipitation in October was favorable for the emergence and early development of winter crops but caused inundations on heavy soils.

In August, NDVI values below the five-year average occurred on about 6% of agricultural land. Due to scarce rainfall in September, the area of worse than average crop condition has increased. In Wielkopolskie and Kujawsko-Pomorskie regions, crop condition indicators presented mixed patterns, below or above the average; the higher than average patterns could indicate a production surplus due to irrigation. The worst crop condition occurred in the center, southwest, and west of the country, confirmed by low VCIx; these regions experienced the strongest rainfall deficits in late summer. In the eastern part of the country crop condition was better than average.

Overall, at the national scale, precipitation presents a positive departure of 28% over average for the reporting period, whereas negative departures concern temperature (-0.7°C) and radiation (-6%). Weather conditions were most favorable in the eastern part of the country, as confirmed by higher than average VCIx and a biomass potential increase of 21%.

Altogether, the production of the Polish crops is foreseen as average.

(a) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI   

(b) Maximum VCI

(c) Spatial NDVI patterns compared to 5YA and the coresponding NDVI departure profiles