Heavy snowfalls in the Vitebsk region helped preserve crops in winter, but could destroy them in spring - expert

February 19, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA/. The condition of winter grain and rapeseed crops in the Vitebsk region is assessed as good and satisfactory. This conclusion was made by specialists of the Vitebsk Zonal Institute of Agriculture of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and district seed inspection services, as reported to BELTA correspondent by the director of the zonal institute, Sergey Yakovchik. A study of samples taken from fields in the region showed that the average plant mortality rate across the region was 5-10%. This is close to natural mortality and corresponds to the national average of 8-12%. However, 3% of the examined grain samples showed a mortality of 20% of plants, and in 40% of rapeseed samples, the mortality was 20%. As Sergey Yakovchik noted, such indicators are mainly observed in the western regions of the area, where, according to meteorological services, with low snow cover during severe frosts at the end of January, the soil temperature at a depth of 3 cm was minus 10-13 degrees Celsius, and in the area of the agrometeorological station "Sharkovshchina" with a snow depth of no more than 8 cm, it was minus 15-17 degrees Celsius. Such temperatures are dangerous for winter rapeseed, first-year clovers, triticale, and wheat. Specialists also monitored the seedlings for phytopathological diseases and noted insignificant damage, not exceeding permissible levels. However, farmers are concerned about the high snow cover, which, with an increase in average daily temperatures, can contribute to fungal diseases. The snow depth varies across the region from 35 cm to 50 cm, so plants need an early and favorable spring for successful overwintering. Over the past 30 years of agrometeorological observations, difficult overwintering conditions were recorded at the end of December 1978 and in January 1979, in December 2002 and in early January 2003. However, soil temperatures during these periods with a snow depth of 8-13 cm did not drop below minus 12-16 degrees Celsius. In January 2006, the soil temperature at the tillering node depth of winter crops and the root collar of grasses dropped to critical values – minus 15-20 degrees Celsius, which was a record for all years of agrometeorological observations. -0-