Critical weather conditions in early February may lead to significant losses of winter crops in Ukraine. According to preliminary estimates, around 1 million hectares of winter crop fields — nearly one-fifth of the total winter crop area – are currently at risk. This was reported by President of the Ukrainian Agrarian Confederation Leonid Kozachenko, ProAgro Group reports.
“Nearly one million hectares could be damaged. These are primarily the central and eastern regions of Ukraine –Poltava region, parts of Cherkasy region, as well as Luhansk, Donetsk and partially Kharkiv regions,” he said.
According to the expert, the highest risks were caused by a combination of low temperatures, the absence of stable snow cover and the formation of an ice crust on the soil surface.
“This is exactly where low temperatures, lack of snow cover and ice crust coincided,” Kozachenko emphasized.
At the same time, in regions where no ice formed on the soil surface, the situation remains much more favorable. In particular, in southern, western and partly northern Ukraine, losses are expected to remain within average annual levels.
“Where there is no ice crust on the soil surface, including Odesa region, losses may be minimal – at around 3%,” he explained.
Winter barley and rapeseed remain the most vulnerable crops under such weather conditions. Well-developed winter wheat crops, however, have better chances of recovery provided that icing does not persist for long periods.
Scientists also point to additional risks related to deep soil freezing. In early February, air temperatures in some regions dropped to –22°C, while soil froze to depths of 40–50 cm, significantly complicating plant recovery even during short-term thaws.
Experts note that final conclusions regarding the scale of crop losses can only be made after the resumption of spring vegetation. Meanwhile, farmers are already advised to prepare for a differentiated approach to fertilization and crop management depending on the actual condition of their fields.
As previously reported, a combination of a new wave of extreme frosts and insufficient snow cover may pose serious risks to winter crops across much of Ukraine.
Source: Suspilne
