Lower Yangtze

During the current monitoring period, the winter wheat harvest was completed in the north of the Lower Yangtze region, including the south of Henan, Jiangsu, and Anhui provinces. The semi-late and late rice crops are still growing in the south and the center of the region (including in Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, and Hubei provinces), while early rice has been harvested. Crop condition was below but close to average according to agroclimatic indicators. Accumulated rainfall and radiation were close to average (RAIN -2%, RADPAR -1%), but with great spatial varibility. Temperature was roughly  average (+0.1℃). Alltogether, average agro-climatic conditions resulted in average biomass production potential (BIOSMSS, +1%).

According to the NDVI development graph, crop condition was below average and last year, especially in the middle of April and May. As shown in the BIOMSS map, the biomass production potential was relatively favorable (+20%) in the north of the region, including the middle of Anhui and Jiangsu and south of Henan province. The south and middle north of the region, however, suffered a significant decrease in the BIOMSS potential, which coincides with the situation depicted by the VCIx map.

Finally, according to NDVI profiles, crop condition was close but slightly below average in 39.6% of cropped areas, mostly located in the middle of Anhui, West of Hubei and Hunan and middle of Jiangxi province. Considering the favorable VCIx value of 0.93, crop production is anticipated to be below but close to average.

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Figure 4.10a. China Lower Yangtze crop condition development graph based on NDVI, comparing the April-July 2018 period to the previous season and the five-year average (5YA) and maximum

Figure 4.10b. China Lower Yangtze spatial NDVI patterns for April to July 2019 (compared to the (5YA) (left) and (c) NDVI profiles associated with these spatial patterns (right)

Figure 4.10d. China Lower Yangtze maximum VCI(right)China Lower Yangtze biomass(left), April-July 2018