In southern China, the main crop was early rice during the reporting period; the crop was still in the vegetative stage.

Crop condition in Southern China was below average compared with the average of the previous five years. The region recorded average temperature (TEMP  -0.2℃ ) but suffered a deficit of both rainfall and sunshine  (RAIN -17%, RADPAR -7%). As a result, the biomass production potential fell as well (BIOMSS -4%), the cropped arable land fraction (CALF) was 3% below average and the maximum VCI (VCIx) was just average at 0.64.

Southern China covers the four provinces of Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi and parts of Yunnan. In Fujian, rainfall and radiation were below average (RAIN, -23%; RADPAR, -1%), and so was BIOMSS (-18%). Similar conditions prevailed in Guangdong (RAIN -13%, RADPAR -2%). VCIx was below 0.8 in more than half of this province. Guangxi as well had low RAIN and even lower RADPAR (-11% and -10%, respectively). In Yunnan, the rainfall, temperature and radiation were 24%, 0.6℃ and 8% below average, respectively.

At the time of reporting, crop condition is about average in 70.1% of the arable land in the region, corresponding to south Yunnan, west Guangxi and coastal Fujian. Crop condition is poor (with NDVI more than 0.4 units below average) or planting was delayed in most of Guangdong and south-east Guangxi. The next monitoring period will show if the low NDVI values indicate poor crops or some transient effect.

Figure 4.12. Crop condition in Southern China region, January 2018-April 2018

(a) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI

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

(d) Maximum VCI

(e) Biomass