Ukraine. Soil drought creates unfavorable conditions for sowing winter crops in optimal time

Due to the lack of effective precipitation in the second half of August, there was no replenishment of soil moisture reserves, and the soil in the areas intended for sowing winter crops in 2024 was mostly poorly moistened. In the southern, some areas of the northern, central and eastern regions, the soil was completely dry. This is stated in the report of the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center.

According to expert estimates and the actual reserves of productive moisture, about 50-60% of the area was covered by soil drought, which is more than last year.

“Despite a long hot period for late crops to ripen, agrometeorological conditions were generally satisfactory on most days in August. However, high air and soil temperatures were an unfavorable factor for the completion of the tuberous root crops and led to the premature end of the vegetation of these crops,” the report says.

Winter rapeseed sowing, the optimal sowing dates of which end in the first ten days of September, was carried out under unfavorable conditions due to dry soil. Only in small areas of the western and northern regions was the moisture content of the topsoil satisfactory.

Due to soil drought, unfavorable conditions are created for sowing winter crops at the optimum time, so it will be advisable to sow winter crops at a later date, after replenishing soil moisture reserves, the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center said.

Weather conditions were favorable for sugar accumulation in fruit trees and sugar beet roots and harvesting of late and industrial crops.

As of the beginning of September, 699.7 thousand hectares of winter crops have been sown, including 654.9 thousand hectares of rapeseed and 44.8 thousand hectares of grain (wheat – 42.5 thousand hectares, barley – 1.2 thousand hectares and rye – 1.1 thousand hectares).

Tags: Ukraine, drought, crop condition, sowing