Global Crop Watch

Global Crop Watch Summary April 25, 2003.  Heavy rainfall slowed  summer crop harvest across northern Argentina and southern Brazil.  However, this rainfall provided much needed moisture for winter grains which will soon be planted.  Parts of Western Europe remained unfavorably dry.  Much needed rain benefited winter wheat across the North China Plain. Also, much of the U.S. benefited from rainfall.

Cumulative Precipitation Map for Europe.  For the 10th consecutive week, rainfall missed the major growing areas of France.  Rainfall was widespread and beneficial across the Iberian Peninsula.  This map includes weekly precipitation through April 19, 2003.  On April 20, widespread rain fell across Italy. 

Rain Reached The Dry North China Plain.  After a dry Fall and Winter, rain recently fell across the North China Plain, benefiting  winter grains.  China's winter grain crop was behind recent years' in development.

Precipitation Graphs for China's Yellow River Basin.   These graphs show the recent trend for rainfall across this portion of the North China Plain.  For this region, Spring rainfall began a few weeks earlier than last year. 

China - Soil Moisture, as of April 20, 2003.  This map shows the dryness across the North China Plain and northern growing areas, which contrasts with the south, which has been well watered during the winter and early spring.

China - Surface Soil Moisture, as of April 20, 2003.   Due to the recent rainfall, surface soil is moist across the North China Plain.  But more rainfall is needed to maintain favorable winter wheat conditions.

U.S. 7 Day Cumulative Precipitation Map for the period ending April 23, 2003. This was a "wet" 7 days across much of the Continental U.S.  Precipitation during this period damped dry portions of Oregon, the Central Plains, the Western Corn Belt, and the Ohio Valley.  On the 24th, precipitation continued across the Central Plains and Delta States.  The Southwest and portions of the Texas Panhandle remain too dry.

U.S. Southern Plains - Soil Moisture Graphs.  Included here are "soil moisture" graphs for several agricultural districts in Colorado and Kansas. While each of these regions can use more moisture as the wheat crop enters the moisture critical reproductive stage, each graph indicates that soil moisture is greater than last year.

Southern Plains Vegetative Index Comparison Map.  This map shows the "vegetation departure from last year" as of April 20, 2003.  The greener areas have more vegetation this year compared to last.  This year, drought problem areas continue across central Colorado, and the southern High-Plains of Texas.  Winter grains and hay crops are in much better condition across Kansas and Oklahoma and have recently improved across Nebraska, compared to last year.

Akron, Colorado - Landsat 7 image comparison.    Landsat satellite images from April 6, 2002 and April 9, 2003 are compared here.  The "red tones" indicate much better vegetation for winter wheat in this year's scene compared to the "lighter red and tan tones" seen last year.  However, due to low soil moisture at planting in Fall of 2002,  and increased incidences of "winter freeze", many fields this year are uneven and show greater than normal "dead spots".

Two areas are zoomed in on the April 9, 2003 scene.  The bright red fields are flood irrigated fields and the mottled tan and red field is a "poorly established" dryland wheat field.