Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center announced the preliminary data on the results of winter crops selected (monolith method) in late January. No significant damage and/or destruction of seedlings were revealed, due to an adequate layer of snow.
Meanwhile, if the majority of territory for winter grain crops is in good condition, the main concern is still found in some regions around the state. Unfortunately, a third of all plants taken from the fields of Mykolayiv, Ternopil, Transcarpathia and Kharkiv regions using the monolith method, were confirmed to be dead. Approximately 5% of the samples from Cherkassy region appeared to be in the same condition.
– In general, the situation around winter crops does not cause concerns in Ukraine and the damage of seedlings are taking place, but today they are very local, – commented Tatyana Adamenko, the Head of Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center.
– In the near future we should follow closely the nature of the weather, because not all of the risks have past,- she added.
Thus, the duration of snowbreak depends on the melting of the ice crust, which blocks access of oxygen to the plants as well as promoting development of fungus diseases. Such crust, in particular in the fields of Kharkiv and Sumy regions, held for about 70 days, which was a critical time for seedling survival.
In addition, the cold weather will still occur in the eastern regions and the temperature at night can fall even up to 7-10 degrees below zero, which may damage crops.
Currently, agrometeorologists are working on the forecast for the areas, which will be the subject to reseeding in spring. It was figured out that up to 10% of the area under winter wheat, 15% for winter barley (mainly in the southern areas) and up to 20% for rape (in the western regions) are needed for reseeding.
As for the start of spring field campaign, according to Adamenko, yet it is at least three weeks to the start of it.
– In every region, as always, the spring field works will start at different times, but in general specialized vehicles will be able to start working on the fields not before the second half of March. Again, it will depend on the intensity of spring warmth and how quickly outter part of the topsoil will dry, – she said. Certainly of good news T. Adamenko said that the coming of spring in Ukraine has already become “irreversible” in some sense, which is why winters are becoming more short-lived and the moisture that accumulates over the winter times is enough to successfully sow majority of the spring crops.
