Winter wheat began vegetative growth after being sown from October. The overall condition of the crop was good (VCIx = 0.94). Rainfall was slightly higher than average (+9%) and so was temperature (+1.2°C). Sunshine radiation as assessed by RADPAR was 3% below the reference. Both biomass and CALF show better condition than average (BIOMSS +9%, CALF +9%), and indicate a favourable beginning of the 2018 winter wheat season. Cropwatch predict the winter wheat production of Romania in 2018 to reach 8172 kton, up 6.5% over 2017. 

Regional analysis

More detail is provided below for three main agro-ecological zones (AEZ) of the country. They include the Central mixed farming and pasture Carpathian hills; the Eastern and southern maize, wheat and sugar beet plains; the Western and central maize, wheat and sugar beet plateau.

According to NDVI development profile, crop condition differed in the three regions. In the Central mixed farming and pasture Carpathian hills and the Western and central maize, wheat and sugar beet plateau, crop condition was below average over most of the reporting period while better condition prevailed for winter crops in the Eastern and southern maize, wheat and sugar beet plains, where crop condition was better than average and even exceeded the 5-year maximum in January. As for cultivated area, an increase of CALF occurred in all three regions compared with average.

All AEZs suffered from low solar radiation (RADPAR -7%) which, however, should not have affected wheat as much of the crop was dormant  and partially snow-covered.

Temperature and rainfall were above average in all three regions. During the previous reporting period (July to October 2017) CropWatch found a deficit of rainfall in Romania. The current increase of precipitation will improve the growing conditions for winter wheat. This is confirmed by the  increase of the BIOMSS indicator.

VCIx values were in excess of 0.90 in all AEZs. VCIx was lower than 0.8 near the central region but exceeds 1.0 in most parts of the northwest and southwest regions.

                                 (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 profiles

(f) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI (Central mixed farming and pasture Carpathian hills (left) and Eastern and southern maize, wheat and sugarbeet plains (right))

(f) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI (Western and central maize, wheat and sugarbeet plateau)

Table 3.22. January 2018-April 2018 Agro-climatic indicators by sub-national regions, current season's values and departure from 15YA

Table 3.23. January 2018-April 2018 Agronomic indicators by sub-national regions, current season's values and departure from 5YA