BELHYDROMET

Ekaterina Istomina, head of the hydrology and agrometeorology service of Belhydromet:

The agrometeorological conditions for the growth and development of agricultural crops in the past agricultural year in Belarus were not easy. The growing season was accompanied by a number of unfavorable and dangerous hydrometeorological phenomena, which significantly affected the agro-industrial complex of the country.

Adverse effects of the growing season
Prolonged and intense frosts caused serious damage to agriculture in the spring. They were particularly affected:
- fruit trees and shrubs;
- crops on peat bogs and in relief depressions;
- winter cereals (primarily barley);
- winter rapeseed and winter wheat;
- herbs (primarily alfalfa);
- spring grains and legumes;
- flax;
- sprouted corn , etc .
The dead crops had to be replanted, and a complex of restorative agrotechnical measures was carried out in the damaged areas.

The situation was complicated in the summer:
- frequent rains;
- high humidity in the air and soil (made haymaking difficult);
- development of diseases (required regular phytosanitary control and protective measures);
- unstable weather during the mass grain harvest;
- lodging of crops due to heavy rains;
- increased grain moisture (reduced the rate of harvesting).

The impact of weather conditions on different crops

Heat-loving crops (maize/corn, vegetables with high heat requirements) experienced a deficit of effective heat.
Cereal crops (ears), flax, root vegetables and late vegetables were positively influenced by the relatively low-temperature regime.

In July, rains maintained good and high soil moisture reserves across most areas. However, in some districts of the southern part of the republic, productive soil moisture reserves decreased to satisfactory and even low levels.
Vitebsk region faced excessive soil moisture after heavy precipitation: waterlogging was observed, some crops perished due to water saturation, and the condition of cereal crops was assessed as satisfactory or poor.

Shifts in the growing season
Due to the difficult weather conditions, the development of crops was lagging behind the usual deadlines.:
- the first cutting of grass is 1-2 weeks later than last year's figures;
- simultaneous ripening of winter rapeseed and grain ears (created tension during harvesting);
- significant delay in the ripening of corn.

Harvest and wintering results
Despite the unfavorable conditions, with the observance of cultivation technologies, it was possible to obtain a good harvest:
- grain and leguminous crops;
- sugar beet;
- flax fibers.

Over the past period, wintering has been carried out without critical events for most wintering crops:
in January, the soil temperature at the depth of the tillering node for winter cereals was -1 - 5 C (in the east of the Brest region to -8 C);
Partial damage to winter rapeseed is possible only in the south‑west of Belarus (with scant or absent snow cover).

Details are available on the YouTube channel of the National Press Centre of the Republic of Belarus.

When using the information a reference to Belhydromet is obligatory