Mild, sunny weather favoured late winter
wheat development in the warmest locales but kept the
Following recent drought-alleviating November
rainfall from central Ukraine into Russia’s Central District, sunny weather
encouraged some late winter grain development in the warmest locales.
However, even with temperatures averaging 2
to 6°C above normal, winter crops were now dormant in most growing areas.
The recent spell of wet, warm weather melted
the region’s protective snow cover, with winter crops now exposed to potential
incursions of bitter cold.
Meanwhile, winter wheat in southern Russia
eased toward dormancy, with weekly average temperatures below 5°C in all but
southern-most portions of the region.