The Impact of High Temperatures on Crops in Western Ukraine
The chief agronomist of «Agroprodserveris» company for Ternopil and Ivano-Frankivsk regions, Roman Vinnichuk, noted that over the past week in Western Ukraine, especially in Ternopil region, there have been high temperatures ranging from 33°C to 36°C. According to meteorologists, such heat will continue for another three days.
«This significantly affects the plants. On one hand, heat-loving crops such as sunflower, soybeans, and corn may react positively to these conditions. But on the other hand, excessively high temperatures can have a negative impact on their vegetation, especially during the flowering and pollination phases,» he said.
He emphasized that, for example, soybeans can withstand temperatures up to plus 30°C, but a reading of plus 36°C can already be critical. These temperatures, as he noted, are measured in the air, but on the ground surface, they are even higher.
«From my observations, the lower tier of soybeans already have pods, but the middle tier, which is in the flowering phase, has suffered from abnormally high temperatures and therefore continues to lag behind,» he added.
The agronomist also pointed out that some crops are wilting.
«The turgor in plants has significantly decreased. We are seeing some cases of wilting in corn, soybeans, and sunflowers. However, the situation is partially alleviated by the rains that fell in our regions at the beginning of July. That’s when we received 40 to 70 mm of precipitation. I believe that without this rainfall, the situation would have been much worse,» Roman Vinnichuk noted.
According to him, soybeans and sunflowers are currently actively blooming, while corn is forming tassels and going through the pollination process. The ears are not yet visible on the crops, so the delayed effects of high temperatures on the harvest can only be assessed in a week or two.
