Skip to main content
EU Science Hub
News article15 March 2021

Fair start to spring for winter crops

green_field_of_winter_wheat_c_yelansevv_adobestock_191972522.jpeg
Winter wheat benefited from warm and sunny conditions in late February
© yelantsevv - stock.adobe.com

According to the March issue of the JRC MARS Bulletin - Crop monitoring in Europe, which was published today, after a winter full of sharply contrasting events, winter crops started spring in fairly good condition.

Following the cold spells reported in the February issue of the Bulletin (until 15 February), large parts of western and northern Europe experienced exceptionally warm temperatures, which contributed to rapid snow melt and the restart of growth and development after winter dormancy.

Meanwhile, a cold spell in Turkey and in Russia is expected to have caused some damage to the unhardened winter crops in southern Russia and central Turkey.

Rain deficits in large parts of northern Europe and in the Baltic and Mediterranean regions are expected to have had no negative impact on crops, except in Sicily and Turkey.

In the eastern Maghreb region, rain will be needed very soon to sustain crop development.

Abundant rainfall in several other regions had predominantly positive effects for crops and for the build-up of water reservoirs, but hampered spring field activities in the British Isles.

As it is still early in the season, the crop yield forecasts reported in this issue of the Bulletin are – with few exceptions – based on historical trends, and so are subject to a large margin of uncertainty. That said, for most crops and countries, the figures are noticeably above last year’s levels and above the 5-year average, primarily due to the meagre yields in recent years.

20210315-areasconcern_weathereventsmars.png

Further information

JRC MARS (Monitoring Agricultural Resources) Bulletins

The latest information about global agricultural production hotspots for countries with food insecurity risks is available on the JRC’s ASAP (Anomaly hot Spots of Agricultural Production) site.

For email notifications of new Bulletins, please subscribe through the JRC's Agri4Cast ToolBox

The April 2021 issue of the Bulletin will be published on 26 April.

Related Content

JRC MARS (Monitoring Agricultural Resources) Bulletins

ASAP (Anomaly hot Spots of Agricultural Production)

Agri4Cast ToolBox

Details

Publication date
15 March 2021