The condition of spring crops was unfavorable in Inner Mongolia over the reporting period. Among the CropWatch agroclimatic indicators, RAIN was above average (+24%) and TEMP was about average (+0.8°C), while a decrease was recorded for RADPAR (-8%), resulting in increased potential biomass production index BIOMSS (+13%). The spatial and temporal distribution for these indicators, however, was very uneven. Conditions were unfavorable for the sowing and early growth of spring crops, as illustrated in the crop development graph (in April). Later crop condition improved to higher than average in May. There is, however 18.2% of the cropped areas which display consistently below average NDVI conditions especially in east and north-east Inner Mongolia, north Hebei, along with some areas in Shaanxi and Liaoning. This condition is confirmed by VCIx values below 0.5. The biomass accumulation potential (BIOMSS) is also poor in those areas.

Overall, however, Inner Mongolia saw the fraction of cropped arable land (CALF) increase by 10% and VCIx was 0.93 on average: crop condition was favorable for this area of China from April to July. The final outcome of the season will depend on August and later weather.

Figure 4.7. Crop condition China Inner Mongolia, April-July2018    

(a) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI

Figure 4.7b. China Inner Mongolia spatial NDVI patterns for April to July 2018 (compared to the (5YA) (left) and (c) NDVI profiles associated with these spatial patterns (right)

(d) maxumum VCI                                                    (e) Biomass