This monitoring period (April 2024 to July 2024) covers the growing period for winter wheat sown last fall and this year's summer crops in the Major Production Zone (MPZ) of Central Europe and Western Russia. Crops in this region are mainly rainfed and agro-meteorological conditions play a crucial role. Overall crop growth conditions varied greatly within this MPZ (Figure 2.6).

    CropWatch agronomic indicators show that the Crop Production Index (CPI) of the MPZ was 0.94, 0.02 units (ΔCPI -0.02%) and 0.04 units (ΔCPI -0.04%) below the 5YA and last year, respectively. The maximum VCI values lower than 0.5 were mainly concentrated in eastern central Russia and southeastern Ukraine. On the other hand, the maximum VCI values of 0.5 to 0.8 were concentrated in central southern Russia, southeastern Ukraine and eastern Poland. The maximum VCI values in most other areas are all above 0.8. About 98.8% of arable land was cropped, which was 0.2% higher than the previous 5YA average of the MPZ. The small amount of uncropped areas of arable land was mainly concentrated in southern Russia. The VHI minimum map shows that a large area in southeastern part of Ukraine and southern part of Russia was affected by short-term drought. Combined with the potential biomass departure map, the potential cumulative biomass in the drought-affected areas was reduced by more than 10%. The VHI minimum map is also consistent with the spatial distribution of the area where the mean maximum VCI value is below 0.5 in the spatial distribution map of maximum VCI.

    According to the spatial distribution map of precipitation distance level clustering, 57.2% of the MPZ (southern Russia, eastern Austria, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Ukraine, and the southwestern part of Belarus) had below average precipitation from April to July. On the other hand, 3.5% of the MPZ (eastern Russia and a small part of southern Russia), received more precipitation than average from mid-April to the end of May and subsequently far exceeding the average with significant surges and fluctuations. For the 9.9% of the MPZ (eastern Russia and a small part of southern Russia), precipitation fluctuated around average levels, with early May, June, and mid-July, registering above average levels, while in the other times lower levels were registered. For 29.4% of the MPZ (northern Russia, eastern Belarus, northern Belarus, and northern Ukraine), precipitation fluctuated around the average level and decreased sharply in mid-June. At the same time, the MPZ experienced relatively mild temperature (ΔTEMP +1.6°C), and higher solar radiation (ΔRADPAR +1.1%). As shown in the spatial distribution of temperature profiles, the MPZ experienced significantly above average from mid-April and late May to early June, as well as early July. Below-average temperatures were mainly observed in Poland, Belarus, western Ukraine, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary and western Romania in late April (blue areas in the figure 2.6c), while temperatures in central and western Russia, central and eastern Ukraine and eastern Romania were significantly below average in mid-early May. Below-average temperatures in late June and mid to late July also occurred in south-central Russia and a small part of southern Ukraine.

    Slightly below average precipitation coupled with above average temperatures resulted in potential biomass of 7% below average. The potential biomass departure showed that the lowest BIOMSS values (-20% and less) were observed for northern Hungary, eastern Slovakia, north-central Poland, south-central Romania, eastern Ukraine and south-western Russia. In contrast, BIOMSS was above average (+10% and more), mainly in western Poland, Czech Republic, Eastern Austria, northern Belarus, central Romania and eastern and northern Russia.

    Generally, the conditions of summer crops in the MPZ were mixed. The south-eastern region suffered from a rainfall deficit, while conditions in the other regions were close to normal.

Figure 2.6 Central Europe to Western Russia MPZ: Agroclimatic and agronomic indicators, April – July 2024.

a. Spatial distribution of rainfall profiles                               b. Profiles of rainfall depature from average (mm)   

c. Spatial distribution of temperature profiles                      d. Profiles of temperature depature from average (℃)               

e. Maximum VCI

f. Cropped and uncropped arable land 

g. VHI Minimum

h. Potential biomass departure from 5YA

i. Crop Production index time series chart