In southern China, the monitoring period covers the harvest season oflate rice. Overall crop condition is average, compared to the last five-yearaverage, as clearly shown by the NDVI-based crop condition development graph(Figure 4.11). NDVI was generally average in October, dropped slightly belowaverage at the beginning of November, then recovered and reached above averagelevels in December and January. The overall precipitation over cropped land ofSouthern China has decreased by 24% (reaching 725mm). The average maximum VCIwas at 0.9 and the cropped arable land fraction kept at the same level as thelast five-year average.

Crops in the middle of Guangdong province should be paid attention to especially,due to their below average condition throughout, as reflected by the NDVIspatial patterns and profiles. It is possibly due to the heavy increase of precipitation(+155%) and the reduction of RADPAR (-19%) in Guangdong province. 

Figure4.15. Crop condition Southern China region, October 2015-January 2016

(a)Crop condition development graph based on NDVI

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

(d) Maximum VCI                                                                        (e) Biomass