Wednesday, 13 July 2016

Latest USDA weather update for western and eastern FSU

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.