Seven Major Production Zones (MPZ) for the four major crops (maize, rice, wheat and soybean), namely West Africa, South America, North America, South and Southeast Asia, Western Europe, Central Europe Western Russia and Australia, have been selected for a further regional analysis. The EI including rainfall, temperature, PAR and crop monitoring indicators including VCIx, CALF and CI have been used to assess environmental stress, crop seasonal development and farming intensity in the seven MPZs. For each MPZ, crop information is provided as follows: (a) General setting: the average NDVI background from year 1999 to 2000; (b) map of vegetation health index (VHI) clusters and (c) corresponding VHI profiles; (d) map of rainfall clusters and (e) corresponding rainfall profiles; (f) map of temperature clusters and (g) corresponding temperature profiles; (h) maximum vegetation condition index shown for four overlapping periods of January-April 2013, April-July, July-October, and October 2013 to end of January 2014; (i) fraction of cropped arable land for the same for periods; (j) cropping intensity index. Figure 3-1 to 3-8 presented various indicators for crop condition analysis of different MPZs.

Large areas of the West African MPZ underwent below average temperatures during the first month of 2013 (Figure 3-1). The main maize and rice growing periods were affected due to large variation of temperature in eastern south-central Nigeria. Conditions were favorable over central Nigeria, including the wheat growing areas at the end of the year. Below average crop condition occurs in the south-west during the first half of the year. VCIx, cropped and uncropped arable land as well as the cropping intensity index are all consistent with the behavior of the West African monsoon with bimodal rainfall in the southernmost parts of the region.

An enhanced farming intensity was observed in South America MPZ in 2013 with cropping intensity increased by 5%, compared with recent five years' average and the cropped arable land fraction remained stable through the whole year. The overall crop condition was better than the average five years', but the high temperature and scarce rainfall during April to July and after September inhibited the crop growth in this region (Figure 3-2). 

In North America MPZ, the Saskatchewan, Alberta in Canada, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, and South Dakota in United States suffered from abnormal temperature from late February to early May (Figure 3-3), coinciding with the growing season of winter wheat and the sowing season of spring winter, resulting in growth inhibition of winter wheat and delays in sowing of spring wheat. The Temperature turned favorable in most areas during July to September of the year. After October, Texas, Arkansas and the Great Lakes area in USA presented poor crop condition of winter crops, a possible result of strong snow storms in this period (Figure 3-4).

The South and Southeast Asia MPZ was recorded the highest values for cropping intensity in 2013 (Figure 3-5). Almost all arable lands were cropped as usual from January to April and July to October. The crop weather condition in the whole year was above the average of last five years, except the period from January to April. The soybean crops in Madhya Pradesh state (India) was damaged by the excessive monsoon rainfall.

In West Europe MPZ, the maximum VCI values were below the average of the last five years during the first four months of 2013. From July to October and October to January 2014, maximum VCI values increased 6.2% and 9.7% respectively compared with the last five years, but still with several areas with low values (Figure 3-6). The fraction of cropped arable land increased over the previous five seasons during the first quarters of 2013, but dropped below average during the last period (October to January 2014) due mostly to the decreased arable land in Spain, in areas with the highest cropping intensities in the MPZ.

In Central Europe Western Russia MPZ, the crop condition for the whole year (year 2013) was better than the last five years' average. During October to January 2014, the temperature increased 1℃ compared with recent 12 years, and the fraction of cropped arable land in this period was 0.84, dropped 11.7% from five year average which indicated a shrinking of winter wheat planting area in 2014 in Russia (Figure 3-7).

The rainfall and temperature Australia MPZ were in general close to the average of the last 12 years in 2013. During the main growing season (April to October), the cropped arable land fraction kept stable and the maximum VCI underwent an increasing trend. The VHI for the whole year of 2013 indicates a general favorable production situation in Australia (Figure 3-8).