Because of the climate change the agrarians of Kirovohrad region should grow winter wheat and barley instead of millet and soybean as they better tolerate temperature fluctuations and drought. This was stated by the deputy director for scientific work of the Institute of Steppe Agriculture Vitaliy Ishchenko, reports “ProAgro Group” with reference to the information of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine.
It is noted that in December 2021 the World Bank published a study on the impact of climate change on the economy of Ukraine. It was conducted over two years at the request of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine.
The researchers concluded that Cherkassy, Kherson, Poltava, Vinnitsa and Kirovograd regions will feel climate change the most.
Winter wheat, barley and sunflower are sown in the institute’s fields near the village of Sozonovka, Kropivnitsky district. Plants adapted to the conditions of the steppe region are grown here. Workers research their yields and then advise farmers on what to plant better.
“The trend has changed over the last 10 years to a higher temperature regime during the main growing seasons of crops. Winter crops survive the drought better because they use winter moisture reserves. Periods of drought are replaced by excess moisture – this also affects the development of crops”, – says Vitaliy Ishchenko.
