Winter crops in Ukraine remain in deep dormancy

Winter crops across Ukraine remained in a state of deep dormancy during the second ten-day period of February, according to the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center.

The lowest soil temperatures (minus 12–13°C) at the depth of the tillering node (3 cm) of winter crops and perennial grasses were recorded by several weather stations in the Kirovohrad and Dnipropetrovsk regions.

“These temperature drops posed a threat to winter barley, winter rapeseed, and weakly developed winter wheat plants; however, the duration of exposure was short,” meteorologists said.

In the rest of the country, the minimum soil temperature at a depth of 3 cm under winter crops and perennial grasses fell to minus 7–10°C. In western regions, many northern areas, and parts of central and southern regions, temperatures declined to minus 1–6°C. In Zakarpattia, and locally in Ivano-Frankivsk and Chernivtsi regions, soil temperatures dropped to 0°C, which is significantly higher than the critical frost damage threshold for most overwintering crops.

According to agrometeorologists, the estimated critical frost temperatures are: for winter wheat — minus 11–12°C at the emergence stage, minus 12–13°C at the third leaf stage, and minus 13–15°C at the tillering stage; for winter rye — minus 14–16°C; and for winter barley and rapeseed — minus 10–11°C.

As of February 20, weather conditions for overwintering of winter crops in Ukraine were generally satisfactory, as confirmed by additional regrowth testing of crop samples collected from fields, the Center added.

Tags: Ukraine, crop condition