Cold weather slows down the sowing of spring crops in Ukraine and the United States

Weather conditions for crops are currently quite good in both the Southern and Northern Hemispheres, which, against the background of the long war in Ukraine, is holding back the growth of world food prices.

In Ukraine, the sowing of spring crops is actively carried out in areas free from hostilities. According to the Ukrhydrometeocenter, in the first decade of April the weather conditions were satisfactory for winter vegetation and sowing of spring crops. Sowing of peas, spring barley and wheat, oats continues, sowing of sunflowers and sugar beets begins, seedlings began to appear in previously sown fields.

After a shortage of precipitation in February and March, the rains of the first decade of April replenished soil moisture reserves and increased relative humidity. As of April 10, the stock of productive moisture in the arable layer of soil under winter crops throughout Ukraine was 21-40 mm and more (sufficient and optimal level). Unsatisfactory soil moisture (12-20 mm of productive moisture) was recorded only in some fields in the south of Odesa region.

In most areas, crops of winter wheat, barley and rye are in the phase of tillering, the formation of nodular roots and the third leaf. Leaf rosettes are formed on winter rapeseed crops, and stems and inflorescences appear in some districts of Kherson, Kirovohrad and Ternopil regions.

In the Midwestern United States, cold weather with moderate rainfall will continue for another week, slowing sowing. As of April 10, 2% of the country's corn has been sown, compared to an average of 4% over 5 years. Winter wheat in the southwestern South Plains still suffers from rainfall, although it rained in the eastern and northern regions this week. Periodic showers and cool air in the western United States will improve the condition of winter wheat crops, but delay the sowing of spring wheat.

In Brazil, the soybean and corn harvest of the first harvest is almost complete, and the sowing of the second harvest of saffron corn is underway. During this and next weeks, short-term showers will occur in the central and northern regions of the country in the area of second-harvest corn. However, experts believe that the drought season may begin two weeks earlier than normal, which will negatively affect the pollination of corn.

Argentina has dry weather, which speeds up the sowing of winter wheat, but has a negative effect on late soybean and corn crops. There will be light rain next week, but the soil moisture reserves are very low. According to the Buenos Aires Grain Exchange, soybeans in the country harvested 14.4% of the area, which is 7.1% ahead of last year's rate.