Western FSU
Showers overspread
the region, easing drought in Ukraine and Russia’s Central District while
maintaining favourable winter wheat prospects in southern Russia.
The core of the
region’s drought extended from central and eastern Ukraine northward into
Russia’s Central District.
In these areas,
7-day rainfall ranged from 10 to 30 mm (locally more).
While not enough to
eradicate the pronounced 90-day rainfall deficits, the precipitation provided
much-needed moisture for late winter wheat establishment in the
still-vegetative southern growing areas.
However, weekly
average temperatures remained at or below 5°C from northeastern Ukraine into
the Central District, indicating the rain was too late to aid winter wheat
establishment in these more northerly crop areas.
In contrast, winter
wheat in southern Russia benefited from another timely soaking, with 20 to 50
mm reported over many of the major wheat oblasts in Russia’s Southern and North
Caucasus Districts.