This reporting period covers January to April 2018 and it is the core of the winter crops season of North America. Due to unfavorable weather, crop condition was below the 5YA in general.

The agroclimatic indicators show that rainfall was 4% above average, while temperature and RADPAR were significantly below average by 1.4°C and 5%, respectively. The spatial distribution of rainfall profiles indicates that the negative trend of precipitation observed in the Southern Plains and the Prairies started during late February 2018. The major winter crops zones that suffered from below average precipitation and RADPAR include the Cotton Belt to the Mexican Nordeste (-3%), the Northern Great Plains (-4%) as well as the SW U.S. and N.Mexican highlands (-11%). In the same areas, RADPAR was down 5%, 4%, and 4%, respectively.

The map of minimum VHI indicates drought occurred in the Southern Plains. The generally below average crop condition in the MPZ is confirmed by a low average VCIx value (0.62), with especially low values (0.5) in the Great Plain, indicating poor crop condition. Unfavorable weather condition resulted in a biomass accumulation potential drop of 12%, especially in the west and north  of the great plains, where the decrease exceeds  20%. As an important factor of production, the cropped arable land fraction was down 29% compared to 5YA average. 

Considering the unfavorable weather and agronomic indicators performance, CropWatch projects below average production of winter wheat in 2018.

图.X Spatial distribution of rainfall profiles

图.X Spatial distribution of temperature profiles

图.X Potential biomass departure from 5YA

图.X Cropped and uncropped arable land

图.X Maximum VCI

图.X Minimum VHI