Generally, crop condition in Huanghuaihai is not very satisfactory. The main crop for the reporting period was winter wheat,which is harvested in June, while maize is being planted. As shown by the NDVI development graph, crop condition was above the five-year average during April and May, while it was well below last year's condition and the five-year average most of the time, suggesting a decline in crop production. Agroclimaticconditions were unfavorable: 36% below average rainfall and 0.5°C below average temperature resulted in a 14% reduction in biomass, especially in Beijing,Tianjin, Hebei, northern Jiangsu, and northern Shandong. According to the NDVI clusters, crop condition in part of Hebei and Shandong was below normal, whileother regions were at the average level. In addition, the fraction of croppedarable land was 1 percentage point below average. Low values for the vegetation condition index (VCIx) are distributed in the west and south of Bohai bay,which is corresponding with reduced values for BIOMSS.

Figure4.10. Crop condition China Huanghuaihai, April-July 2015

(a)Crop condition development graph based on NDVI

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

(c) Maximum VCI                                                                  (d) Biomass