Experts assure: winter crops will be able to withstand heavy frosts and snow

Nowadays, the actual problem for farmers remains a qualitative overwintering of winter crops. For example, such month as December has passed with unstable temperature and precipitations. There was even a risk of ice covering formation.

Experts assure that winter crops remain in a state of winter dormancy.

According to the Institute of Agriculture of steppe zone of NAAS Ukraine, the average air temperature during the period from December 11 to December 18 was - 2.3°C, which is 0.8°C above normal. The minimum air temperature dropped to -6.2°C at night, and the maximum – during the daytime increased to + 0.5°C.

As of December 19, only 14.5 mm of precipitation fell – this is within the specification limits. 10.5 mm of precipitation in the form of snow fell only on December 11.

Now the snow-cover height is at the level of 20-25 cm. The depth of soil freezing is from 3 to 5 cm. In places, where the snow depth is higher, the ground has thawed out.

Vitalii Ishchenko, vice director of the Institute of Agriculture of steppe zone of NAAS Ukraine, told about the state of crops to the team of the website farmerscan.com:

"During the inspection of the fields, hanging ice covering with the thickness 0.3-0.6 cm was found in some places. It was formed at a height of 2-5 cm above the soil surface due to rainfall in the first decade of December. The ice covering is in a friable state and does not pose a danger for plants overwintering".

There are no dangers for overwintering of winter crops in December. This was confirmed by Serhii Koreniuk, director of the department of the agro-industrial complex of the Kirovohrad Regional State Administration:

"There were no large temperature drops. Now there are at least 15-20 cm of snow cover on the fields, which protects crops from frost. One centimeter of snow cover keeps one degree of frost, besides, winter crops can withstand up to -8°C by their physiological properties. Therefore, in sum, winter crops can withstand up to -28°C, but now there is no such temperature. The condition of the crops is normal; there is no reason for concern".

It should be recalled that 354.5 thousand hectares of winter grains and 37.4 thousand hectares of winter rape were sown in the Kirovohrad Oblast. There are sproutings in all areas.