HARD AND SOFT WHEAT: Vegetation health

This page shows the analysis of the vegetation health (VHI index) related to agricultural crops in Italy. This analysis enables us to identify potential critical issues and investigate the consequent effects on production yields.

After the product selection, the first graph shows the current condition of that crop in the main producing regions.

In the second section of the page it is possible to compare the historical trend of the VHI index in all Italian Regions.


Current conditions of crops and productions by Region

In the following chart, the size of the columns indicates the annual quantities of Hard and Soft Wheat produced in the most productive Italian regions. The color of the columns, instead, indicates the current health condition of the vegetation for the selected crops, using a color scale that indicates the value of the VHI - Vegetation Health Index.


VHI
Index 		Growth deficit Standard conditions Optimal growth
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
The colors represent values ​​of the VHI index related to crop health, and are measured on a scale from 0 to 100. Colors from orange to red highlight negative conditions in crop health.

Historical trend by Region

The following charts show the historical trend of the health conditions (VHI index) of Hard and Soft Wheat crops in the different Italian regions, sorted according to their annual production. The purple dotted line represents the threshold below which the vegetation is in a situation of significant stress, which can negatively affect crop yields. The colored areas indicate the periods when the level of the VHI index went under such stress conditions, going from orange (less intense stress) to dark red (more intense stress).

Source for agricultural production data: ISTAT - Source for climate data: NOAA.