The reporting period covers the booting and heading of winter wheat in southwestern China.

According to the regional NDVI profile, crop condition was partly below average. Rainfall exceed average  (RAIN +2%), sunshine was low (RADPAR -6%) while temperature was average (TEMP +0.1℃). Compared to the average of the past 5 years,the cropped arable land fraction was slightly below (CALF -2%) and the potential biomass production index was high (BIOMSS +8%). The maximum VCI was 0.66 indicating  mostly average crop condition.

 As shown by NDVI clusters and maps, NDVI in the region was close to average from early February to the end of April, except in central-east Guizhou and neigbouring areas in Chongqing; both had already experienced very low NDVI due to abundant precipitation  (RAIN +10%, RADPAR -7%) early in the season. In Sichuan, rainfall and sunshine were low but close to average (RAIN and RADPAR -2%). The most favourable profile occurs in Yunnan in spite of low rainfall (RAIN -24%). Altogether, the situation is the region is as yet inconclusive and deserves close monitoring.

Figure 4.10. Crop condition Southwest China region, January 2018 to April 2018

(a) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI

(b) Spatial NDVI patterns compared to 5YA   (c)NDVI profiles

(d) Maximum VCI

(e)Biomass