This monitoring period covers the months of April to July. Winter wheat reached maturity in July. The planting of summer crops started in April and was completed by mid-May.  

CropWatch agronomic indicators based on NDVI development graph at the national scale show that NDVI values were close to the 5-year average level. These observations were also confirmed by VCI values in the spatial distribution of maximum VCI map. It reached 0.91 at the national scale. Crop production index (CPI) was 1.01, indicating normal crop conditions.

CropWatch agroclimatic indicators show that both total precipitation (ΔRAIN +38%) and temperature (ΔTEMP +0.5°C) were above average, while radiation (ΔRADPAR -3%) was below the average of the past 15 years. As can be seen from the time series of the rainfall profile, Germany experienced above-average precipitation except for late April and mid-July. Late May was even above the maximum of the past 15 years. Most of the country experienced warmer conditions during the monitoring period, except for late April and June, which were cooler than average. Due to plenty of precipitation and warmer-than-usual temperatures, the biomass accumulation potential (BIOMSS) increased by 17% at the nationwide level as compared to the 15YA.

Generally, the agronomic indicators show that conditions were average in Germany. The crops are mainly rainfed crops in Germany, and irrigation rates are relatively low (7.2%). Sufficient rainfall during the monitoring period had helped sustain crop growth, but it also created challenging conditions for wheat harvest, causing below average quality. All in all, average production of cereals can be expected.

Regional analysis

Based on cropping systems, climatic zones, and topographic conditions, six sub-national agro-ecological regions are adopted for Germany. They include: Sparse Crop Area of the East-German Lake and Heathland area (54), Central Wheat Zone of Saxony and Thuringia (55), the Wheat Zone of Schleswig-Holstein and the Baltic coast (56), Mixed Wheat and Sugar beet Zone of the Northwest (57), the Bavarian Plateau (58) and Western Sparse Crop Area of the Rhenish Massif (59). 

In the East-German Lake and Heathland Sparse Crop Area, above-average precipitation was recorded (ΔRAIN +4%). Temperatures (ΔTEMP +1.1°C) and radiation (ΔRADPAR +2%) were higher than average. As a result, BIOMSS is expected to increase by 8% as compared to the average. As shown in the crop condition development graph based on NDVI, the values improved to above average levels by the end of this monitoring period. The Cropped arable land fraction (CALF) was 100% and the VCIx was 0.93 for this region. CPI was 1.03. The crop production in this region is expected to be near average. 

The Central wheat zone of Saxony and Thuringia is the major winter wheat zone. As shown in the crop condition development graph based on NDVI, the values were below average in April and were higher than average by the end of this monitoring period. The CropWatch agroclimatic indicators show that this region experienced above average precipitation (+25%) with warmer weather (ΔTEMP +0.6°C), while radiation was below average (ΔRADPAR -1%), which led to BIOMSS being 16% above average. The area has a high CALF (100%) as well as a favorable VCIx (0.92). CPI was 1.02. The crop production in this region is expected to be average.  

Schleswig-Holstein and the Baltic coast is another major winter wheat zone of Germany. CropWatch agronomic indicators based on NDVI development graph show that NDVI values were below average before April and near the 5-year maximum level in April. Compared to the average of the past 15 years, the CropWatch agroclimatic indicators RAIN (+52%), temperature (ΔTEMP +1.0°C), and radiation (ΔRADPAR +1%) was above average. Due to favorable precipitation and temperature during the green-up period of crop, BIOMSS was increased by 25%. The area had a high CALF (100%) as well as a favorable VCIx (0.91), indicating favorable crop prospects. CPI was 1.00. The crop production in this region is expected to be near average. 

Wheat and sugar-beets are major crops in the Mixed wheat and sugar-beets zone of the north-west. As shown in the crop condition development graph based on NDVI, the values were below average except for late April and May, when it passed the 5-year average. RAIN (+50%) and temperature (ΔTEMP +0.5°C) were significantly above average, while radiation (ΔRADPAR -2%) was below average. Due to favorable precipitation and temperature during the germination of wheat, BIOMSS was 26% above average. The area had a high CALF (100%) as well as a favorable VCIx (0.90). CPI was 1.00.  The crop production in this region is expected to be average. 

Above average precipitation was recorded for the Bavarian Plateau (ΔRAIN +35%), with above-average temperature (ΔTEMP +0.1°C) and below-average radiation (ΔRADPAR -6%). Compared to the fifteen-year average, BIOMSS increased by 10%. As shown in the crop condition development graph based on NDVI, the values were above or close to average except in June. The area had a high CALF (100%) as well as a favorable VCIx (0.91). CPI was 0.99. The crop production in this region is expected to be near average. 

The cropland in the Western sparse crop area of the Rhenish massif also experienced above average precipitation (+53%) with warmer weather (ΔTEMP +0.2°C), while radiation was below average (ΔRADPAR -6%), which led to BIOMSS increase by 27%. As shown in the crop condition development graph based on NDVI, the values were below or close to average except in June.The high CALF at 100% indicates that almost all of the area is being used for crop production. The high VCIx of 0.93 indicates that the vegetation’s condition is much better than the long-term average, which is a strong indicator of good crop health. Similarly, the CPI of 1.02 suggests that the crop production is normal level.

Figure 3.13. Germany’s crop condition, April-July 2024

(a) Phenology of major crops in Germany

(b) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI

(c) Maximum VCI for the April-July 2024 period

(d) Spatial NDVI patterns for Germany up to July 2024 according to local cropping patterns and as compared to the 5YA (left) and (e) associated NDVI profiles (right)

(f) Time series rainfall profile (left) and temperature profile (right) of Germany 

(g) Wheat zone of Schleswig-Holstein and the Baltic Coast crop condition development graph based on NDVI (left), time series rainfall profiles (right)

(h) Mixed wheat and sugarbeets zone of the north-west crop condition development graph based on NDVI (left), time series rainfall profiles (right)

(i) Central wheat zone of Saxony and Thuringia crop condition development graph based on NDVI (left), time series rainfall profiles (right)

(j) East-German lake and Heathland sparse crop area crop condition development graph based on NDVI (left), time series rainfall profile (right)

(k) Western sparse crop area of the Rhenish massif crop condition development graph based on NDVI (left), time series rainfall profile (right)

(l) Bavarian Plateau crop condition development graph based on NDVI (left), time series rainfall profile (right)

(m) CPI time series graph

Table 3.18. Germany agro-climatic indicators by sub-national regions, current season's values and departure from 

15YA, April-July 2024

Table 3.19. Germany agronomic indicators by sub-national regions, current season's value and departure from 5YA, April-July 2024