ADMS

The Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation - State Research Institute in accordance with an Act from the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development has developed the climatic water balance for all Polish municipalities (3,064 municipalities), and based on the soils categories have identified in those municipalities the current agricultural drought risk for the following crops: winter and spring cereals, corn for grain and silage, sugar beets, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, tobacco, field vegetables, shrubs and fruit trees, strawberries and legumes.

In the third reporting period, i.e. from April 21 to June 20, 2013, IUNG-PIB does not state a risk of agricultural drought in Poland. The values of climatic water balance (CWB), which are the basis to assess the risk of drought in most areas, are negative, but these values for the above-mentioned crops are much higher than the critical value.

The lowest CWB values from -110 to 119 occurred in the Białogardzkiej and Żuławy Plains. Whereas, the highest values of the CWB (positive) was reported at the Południowomazowieckich Hills and in the eastern part of the Południowowielkopolskiej lowlands, from 80 to 120 mm. The highest increase of the CWB was about 80 mm and occurred in the vicinity of Krakow.

CWB values, relative to the situation of the prior 10 days in the country decreased by an average of 25 mm, which means that the current excess water to plants is smaller. The largest decrease in the CWB from 30 to 40 mm was found in the Pomorski and Mazurski Lake Districts, Podlasie, Mazowsze and the Śląska Lowlands. However, the highest increase in the CWB (up to 35 mm) occurred in the Sandomierz Basin and the Western Beskidy Mountains.

May this year, in terms of thermal conditions was varied. The highest air temperature occurred in eastern Poland, reaching more than 16°C, the further west it went. On the western edge of the country, the air temperature was 12-13°C. In most parts of the country, the air temperature was higher than the long-term average by 1-2°C, only the Sudeten Foreland area showed the temperature in the long-term norm. A similar situation was observed in the first ten days of June, in the east of the country where the air temperature reached 17-17.5°C, whilst in the west it was 13-14°C. In the second ten days of June, the situation was reversed, with the above-mentioned period by far the warmest between 19 and 21°C - in a very wide belt of south-west and southern Poland. Whilst, in the north-east and the northern region of the country it was colder, from 17 to 19°C.

In May, the lowest precipitation occurred in the north-east of the country (50-60 mm) and they were the norm of the long-term average. Slightly larger precipitation occurred in a wide belt of central Poland, west of the Vistula (60-100 mm). The highest rainfall recorded in the Mazowiecka and Śląska Lowlands and the Śląsko-Krakowska Uplands (from 120 to 180 mm). In the second ten days of this month, the rainfall was much smaller. The larger areas had rainfall from a few to 10 mm. Only in the Western Carpathians and the Coastland Szczecin, it was slightly higher, from 20 to 40 mm.

Precipitation in the first ten days of June was very diverse, ranging from small few millimetres in the north of the country (Embankment and Południowobałtyckie Lake district) up to 100 mm Śląsko-Krakowskiej and Małopolskiej Highlands and even over 180 mm in the Sudety Mountains.

Heavy rainfall that occurred across the country and occurs at a time of relatively high temperatures could create a major shock for cereals and oilseed rape.

In many areas of Poland, after such very heavy precipitations, creates a high risk due to large accumulations of water on the fields. The remaining water can cause field crops to rot, and it should be noted that an excess of water for the plants is more dangerous in comparison to its deficiency.