Inner Mongolia

The condition of spring crops was unfavorable in Inner Mongolia over the reporting period. Globally, among the CropWatch agroclimatic indicators, RAIN was below average (-17%), while TEMP was above (+0.8°C), and a small increase was reported for both RADPAR and the potential biomass production index BIOMSS (+2%). The spatial and temporal distribution for these CropWatch indicators, however, was very uneven. Conditions were generally unfavorable for the sowing and early growth of spring crops, as illustrated in the crop development graph (starting in April). West Liaoning, central and east Inner Mongolia, central Ningxia, and northern Shaanxi and Shanxi all suffered unfavorable condition according to the VCIx map (with VCIx values below 0.5). The biomass accumulation potential (BIOMSS) is also poor in most areas. According to the NDVI profiles, about a tenth (9.2%) of the cropped areas display consistently below average conditions since the beginning of early April, especially in west Liaoning, northern Shanxi and Shaanxi, northwest Hebei, along with some areas in Inner Mongolia. Later in the reporting period, the situation even worsened in 15% of the cropped areas (including in west Liaoning and eastern and northern Inner Mongolia) to the extent that 76% of areas have shown below average conditions.

Overall, crop condition was unfavorable for this part of China from April to July. If unfavorable conditions are maintained over the remainder of the cropping season, the outcome may altogether be a poor season. 

Figure 4.7a. China Inner Mongolia crop condition development graph based on NDVI, comparing the current season up to July 2017 to the previous season, to the five-year average (5YA), and to the five-year maximum

Figure 4.7b. China Inner Mongolia spatial NDVI patterns for April to July 2017 (compared to the (5YA) (left) and (c) NDVI profiles associated with these spatial patterns (right)

Figure 4.7d China Inner Mongolia maximum VCI, April-July 2017

Figure 4.7d China Inner Mongolia biomass, April-July 2017