With large regional disparities, the crop condition was generally favorable in this MPZ. The monitoring period covers the growing and harvesting period of winter season rice, wheat, and maize, and the planting of summer or "second" crops. Rainfall (RAIN, +2%) was slightly above average. Except for India (RAIN, -16%) and Laos (-9%), the nationwide rainfall was above average in most countries, mainly in Bangladesh (+76%), Thailand (+61%), Cambodia (+30%), Sri Lanka (+25%), Vietnam (+14%), and Myanmar (+5%). According to the rainfall departure clusters, the rainfall was evenly distributed over 89.4% of the region. Bangladesh and the Assam state of India received excessive rainfall in April. Rainfall was in deficit in Sri Lanka in the beginning and end of January and the whole of April. 

Temperature for the MPZ (TEMP, -0.1°C) and radiation were close to the average, although temperature profiles show large fluctuations. The lowest temperature departure value (-2.5°C) occurred at the end of February and April in most countries of the MPZ, such as Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, while the highest departure value (+4°C) was observed in the middle of February in the Himachal Pradesh state of India. 

The biomass production potential indicator (BIOMSS) in most of India was more than 20% below average due to unfavorable weather conditions. The fraction of cropped arable land (CALF) increased 5% compared to recent five-year average, while the average VCIx was 0.81 for the MPZ. The VCIx values below 0.5 were mainly distributed in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu and "sprinkled" over Thailand, mostly coinciding with the uncropped regions shown by the CALF map. With local exceptions, the MPZ nevertheless experienced favorable conditions. 

Figure 2.4. South and Southeast Asia MPZ: Agroclimatic and agronomic indicators, January-April 2017

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

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

e. Maximum VCI                                                                                   f.Cropped arable land

g. Biomass accumulation potential departure                                       h. VHI minimum