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, oilseed rape and turnip rape, sugar beet, shrubs and fruit trees and strawberries.

In the first reporting period, i.e. from April 1 to May 31, 2014, 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 above-mentioned crop are much higher than the critical value.

The lowest CWB values were the Żuławy reaching from -90 to -99 mm. Relatively low values were also in the Mazury lake district, from - 70 to -89 mm.

However, the highest values of CWB (positive) reported on Pogórzu Karpackim, Western Beskidy and Lublin upland were from 110 to 150 mm.

April this year was warm although the temperature across the country was widely varied. The highest air temperature occurred in western Poland, reaching more than 11^oC (in the Lubuskie region and Śląskie upland). The large area of the had temperature ranged from 9 to 11^oC. In the north of the country (the eastern part), the temperature was lower (4-6^oC). In most parts of the Poland, the air temperature was higher to the long-term average (of three decades from 1971 to 2000), by 2-3^o C while in the western part of Toruńsko-Eberswaldzkiej  proglacial valley was  higher even by over 3^o. Only at Slowinski Coastland air temperature in April was slightly higher than the long-term average, about 1-2^oC.

May this year, in terms of temperature was relatively low varied. The highest air temperature occurred in eastern Poland, reaching more than 14^oC. In most parts of the country, the air temperature in May was 11-12^oC.

In April, a high diversity of precipitation was found. Very low rainfall, less than 20 mm occurred in the eastern part Suwałki Lake District, they accounted for less than 50% of normal long-term value. Low rainfall ranging 20-30 mm occurred also in Mazury Lake District and Podlaska Lowland and was 50-90% of norm for these areas. However, in the east of the country the rainfall was high, at 50-60 mm (about 130-150% of norm). Precipitation of similar size occurred in the Konin Valley and the Rychwalska Plains, which was in these areas 100% of norm. In contrast, it should be noted the relatively high precipitation occurring in the lake districts: Poznan, Drawskie, Szczecinek, Wałeckie, they were in these regions from 50 to 70 mm, acting from 130 to 180% of long-term norm. The highest precipitation was recorded in the Carpathians, more than 100 mm.

May this year in terms of precipitation was varied. The lowest occurred in the north and especially in the north-eastern part of the country from 20 to 100 mm, the further south, the rainfall values were higher. The highest precipitation was recorded in the Sudety, in the Lublin Uplandand in the eastern and western Beskidy, in Podhale and Tatry, from 100 to over 300 mm. In some places they were listed as precipitation record.

Heavy rainfall that occurred across the country and occurs at a time of relatively high temperatures could create a major shock of cereals and oilseed rape. There is a high risk for the development of many fungal diseases in cereals such as leaf septoria, brown leaf spot, leaf rust, in the case of rape - stem rot. Currently, the prevailing weather conditions are also favour for the development of fungal diseases in apple trees (apple scab).

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.