Crop condition in Huanghuaihai was generally below the recent five-year average, although it exceeded that level in January. Unfavorable meteorological conditions during the last monitoring period may have impacted crop sowing and crop development at early growing stages. In addition, dry weather from July to October hindered the germination of winter wheat, which is confirmed by the well below average NDVI value before January in the NDVI development graph. Significantly above average rainfall (RAIN, +107%) from October to January provides sufficient soil moisture for winter wheat to develop after the wintering period, resulting in a marked increase in the biomass production potential (BIOMSS, +99%).

As shown in the spatial pattern of the NDVI departure map, crop condition was slightly below average before the middle of October in almost the whole region, and well below the average since November in scattered locations across the region, especially in eastern Henan and northern Anhui provinces. Since December, crops in the region have been recovering, turning to average condition by January, mainly due to abundant rainfall. The maximum VCI presents low values in eastern and northern Henan, northern Anhui, and central Hebei, which is consistent with the spatial distribution of the crop condition. Overall, climatic conditions so far will benefit the development of the winter wheat after dormancy.