Western FSU
Dry, warm conditions
prevailed in the region’s primary winter wheat areas.
Sunny skies and
near- to above normal temperatures (1-3°C above normal) maintained ideal
conditions for winter wheat maturation and harvesting from south-central
Ukraine into western portions of Russia’s Southern District, a key winter wheat
area.
A swath of moderate
to heavy rain (10-50 mm, locally more) hampered drydown and harvesting in
eastern winter wheat areas, but the rain was not expected to impact crop
quality or lower yield potential.
Farther west, 10 to
50 mm of rainfall eased developing short-term dryness in northwestern Ukraine
and neighbouring portions of Belarus, improving prospects for spring grains,
soybeans, and corn.
Primary corn areas
(north-central and eastern portions of Ukraine into southwestern Russia) have
received near- to above-normal rainfall over the past 60 days, so this week’s
dry, warm weather (30-32°C) promoted crop development.
Corn was approaching
the tassel stage in Ukraine, and had entered the tassel stage in Russia.
Vegetative to
reproductive spring grains in the eastern Volga District benefited from
widespread showers (2-22 mm) and near-normal temperatures.
Eastern FSU
Widespread showers
maintained favourable prospects for spring wheat (north) and cotton (south).
Early in the period,
a departing storm system produced an additional 10 to 60 mm of rainfall from
northwestern Kazakhstan and the southern Urals District eastward into the
Siberia District.
The rain further
increased soil moisture reserves for jointing spring wheat, which is on
schedule to enter the key reproductive stages of development during the latter
half of July.
Farther south,
showers and thunderstorms (10-40 mm) over eastern Uzbekistan and environs
provided supplemental moisture for irrigated cotton, which was in the flowering
stage of development.