October in Ukraine has become one of the warmest and driest months in the last 10 years

In October, elevated air temperatures and insufficient precipitation were observed in Ukraine, which negatively affected the development of winter grain crops, experts of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine report in their monthly review.

The average air temperature exceeded the long-term norm by 2.7 ^o C and reached 11.8 ^o C, and the amount of precipitation was 28.1 mm or 74% of the climatological norm for this month. In the last 10 years, compared to the current year, October 2020 was warmer, while October 2015, 2018, and 2021 had less precipitation.

In most of the territory of Ukraine, where grain crops are grown, the autumn vegetation of winter cereals usually ends in the second or the beginning of the third decade of November, and for successful wintering, plants must form 3 to 5 shoots.

In the current year, winter wheat will complete the autumn growing season in different physiological states - from the appearance of "spikes" to the phase of tillering plants, taking into account the timing of sowing and difficult weather conditions. In some areas, due to too late sowing or lack of moisture, the seeds will not have time to germinate, and will be in the soil after wintering begins.

Taking into account the unfavorable indicators of temperature and soil moisture during most of the autumn period, NAAS experts believe that the results of overwintering of winter grain crops and their future harvest will depend on the amount of precipitation in the near future, the duration of autumn vegetation and weather conditions in winter.