The latest crop monitoring MARS bulletin on Ukraine

Substantial rainfall improved soil conditions

May was particularly rainy and allowed plants to recover from the exceptionally dry conditions previously observed.  

The intense precipitation may have slightly impacted yields due to some pest pressure and lodging, but crop growth conditions are deemed to be generally fair.

May was particularly rainy, while winter cereals were reaching the grain-filling stage and spring cereals the flowering stage.

These conditions contrasted with the dry conditions observed in the previous months.

Rainfall was largely above average in almost all regions, even reaching twice the average in central regions.

The only exceptions were Khersons’ka, Mykolayivs’ka, Krym and central Odes’ka, where rainfall was close to the average.

Khersons’ka is now the only region which may remain affected by dry conditions.

After a particularly cold first dekad, with minimum temperatures below 0°C in western regions, the second half of May was exceptionally warm with maximum temperatures reaching 33°C in eastern regions.

The warm weather continues in the east, whereas temperatures in the western half of the country close to the average during the first dekad of June.

As a consequence of the mild winter, winter crops are still in advance by one dekad compared to an average year.

Spring cereals are slightly ahead of schedule due to the high temperatures recorded at the end of May.

Whereas the border region of the Black Sea area may still be impacted by some dry conditions, the western and central regions may face some lodging due to the intensive rainfall, which reached more than 40 mm in one day in some regions.

Forecasts for wheat and barley are expected to be higher than the 5-years average but slightly lower than last year due to the dry conditions in April.

Maize is forecasted close to the 5-years average as the price of fertilizer and other inputs has increased a lot this year and grain maize yields strongly depends on it.