Dry conditions allow sowing campaign to catch up

However, conditions were unfavourable in large parts of Spain, Italy, Romania and Bulgaria, and in the Maghreb, Türkiye, and parts of Ukraine and Russia.

Overly wet conditions hampered sowing in eastern Spain and northern Italy

Large parts of eastern Spain suffered intensive rains and consequent floods. Direct impacts on arable land were limited. Autumn sowings are delayed, but so far with no major concerns as temperatures are still in the optimal range for the sowing of winter cereals.

In northern Italy, high levels of rainfall in frequent events continued until mid-October, causing local floods and delaying the completion of the harvest of summer crops. Winter crop sowings were delayed as well and started only in the first days of November. 

Dry conditions raise concerns about sowing and initial crop development in several regions in the south and east

Soils remain very dry in Sicily, due to the summer drought conditions. This raises serious concerns for durum wheat sowing, which should be completed in December.

Dry conditions in south-western Romania and several parts of Bulgaria negatively affected the emergence and initial development of rapeseed and winter cereals.

Dry soils also hampered the sowing and initial development of winter crops in eastern Ukraine and southern European Russia, leading to less sowing than originally projected and weak stands of emerged crops.

Rainfall is urgently needed in large parts of Türkiye and parts of the Maghreb (particularly Algeria) to create adequate soil moisture conditions for the sowing of winter crop in the coming weeks.

This issue of the Bulletin features an update on sowing conditions for winter crops and a text box on the DANA event in eastern Spain.

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