MINSK, 6 January (BelTA) – The forthcoming cold weather spell presents no danger for winter crops, BelTA learned from the National Center for Hydrometeorology, Radioactive Contamination Control, and Environmental Monitoring of the Belarusian Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Ministry.
According to agricultural meteorologists, conditions for winter crops remain satisfactory, no dangerous phenomena have been registered. Air temperatures are expected to drop closer to mid-January 2021, however, the cold spell presents no danger for winter crops. When air temperatures and soil temperatures fall gradually, winter crops go through another acclimation and restore their ability to resist frost. Apart from that, the snow mantle is expected to grow thicker in many parts of Belarus, the national weather service said.
According to the latest data, the snow cover thickness in most of the country varies from 1cm to 8cm. The snow cover is about 15-25cm thick only in extreme northern areas of the country. The soil is not frozen or the frozen layer is thin in many areas. The soil temperature at the depth of the tillering node of winter cereal crops was primarily close to zero in the second half of December 2020 and in early 2021. The crops lost their frost resistance in these conditions.
