Bulletin

wall bulletin
United KingdomMain producing and exporting countries

Authors: zhuliang | Edit: lirui

Summer crops reached maturity in September and October. At the same time, the sowing of winter cereals had started. Agro-climatic indicators show that rainfall was below average (ΔRAIN, -5%), while temperature and radiation were close to average. The seasonal rain and temperature profile shows that the rainfall and temperature was fluctuating during the monitoring period. In general, the slightly above-average rainfall in the prevous monitoring period and slightly below-average rainfall in this monitoring period provided favourable soil moisture conditions for winter wheat production. However, rainfall was sometimes excessive and also caused lodging and yield losses.  NDVI values were below or close to average in the monitoring period. The national average VCIx was 0.87. Crop production index was 0.97, slightly below average. CALF (100%) was unchanged compared to the five-year average. Cropping intensity was 136. The NDVI departure cluster profiles indicate that the NDVI spatial patterns are similar for all regions in UK, NDVI increased from July to early August, then decreased. Altogether, the conditions in the UK are assessed as close to average.


Regional analysis

Based on cropping systems, climatic zones, and topographic conditions, three sub-national regions are described below: Northern barley region (84)Central sparse crop region (83) and Southern mixed wheat and barley region (85). All three sub-regions are characterized by an unchanged fraction of arable land (CALF) compared to the 5YA.

In the northern barley region, NDVI was below average. All the agroclimatic indicators are below average (ΔRAIN, -17%; TEMP -0.2℃, RADPAR -1%), which results in an below average estimate of biomass (BIOMSS -4%). This region is cultivated with a mixture of single and double cropping systems, and the CI (+5%)  was above average, while the VCIx was at 0.89. Crop production index was 0.94. Conditions were below average.


The Central sparse crop region is one of the country's major agricultural regions for crop production.  The crop condition development graph based on NDVI was below average during most of the monitoring period. Rainfall and temperature were below average (ΔRAIN -12%, ΔTEMP -0.1℃) and radiation was close to average. Below average rainfall and temperature resulted in slightly below-average biomass(BIOMSS -1%). This region is cultivated with a mixture of single and double cropping systems, and the CI was close to average, while the VCIx was at 0.90. Crop production index was 0.93. Overall, the situation was average.


In the Southern mixed wheat and barley zone, NDVI was below or close to average. This region experienced the largest positive rainfall excess (ΔRAIN +14%), temperature (ΔTEMP +0.2°C) was slightly above average and radiation was close to average. The abundant rainfall and above-average temperature resulted in the above-average biomass (BIOMSS +6%). This region is cultivated with a mixture of single and double cropping systems, and the CI was below average (-2%), while the VCIx was at 0.86. Crop production index was 0.97. Overall, the conditions were close to average.


Figure 3.18 United Kingdom crop condition, July‐October 2024


(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 departure profiles

(f) Rainfall profiles(g) Temperature profiles

(h) National CPI time series graph

(i) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI (left:Northern Barley region, right: Central sparse crop region)




(j) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI (Southern mixed wheat and Barley zone)





Table 3.28 United Kingdom's agro-climatic indicators by sub-national regions, current season's values and departure from 15YA, July ‐October 2024

Region

RAIN

TEMP

RADPAR

BIOMSS

Current
(mm)

Departure
(%)

Current
(°C)

Departure
(°C)

Current
(MJ/m2)

Departure
(%)

Current
(gDM/m2)

Departure
(%)

Northern Barley region(UK)

476

-17

11.2

-0.2

586

-1

798

-4

Central sparse crop region (UK)

422

-12

12.6

-0.1

637

0

850

-1

Southern mixed wheat and barley zone (UK)

395

14

14.4

0.2

733

0

829

6

Table 3.2 United Kingdom's  agronomic indicators by sub-national regions, current season's values and departures from 5YA, July ‐October 2024


Region

CALF

Cropping Intensity

Maximum VCI

CPI

Current(%)

Departure from 5YA(%)

Current(%)

Departure from 5YA(%)

Current

Current

Northern Barley region(UK)

100

0

152

5

0.89

0.94

Central sparse crop region (UK)

100

0

131

0

0.90

0.93

Southern mixed wheat and barley zone (UK)

100

0

132

-2

0.86

0.97