March 15 2005, 13:08 APK-Inform

Most of winter crops are in good condition

As APK-Inform reporter has been informed in press-service of Agrarian Policy Ministry, as of March 11 this year 89 percent of winter crops in Ukraine were in good and fair condition.

According to research institutions of Ukraine's Academy for Agrarian Sciences, the plants are now capable of withstanding the temperatures at the tillering node depth up to 12 to 14 degrees below zero, while the current temperatures are significantly higher.

Tanks to moderate frost penetration and considerable precipitations, favourable conditions arose in most of the regions for replenishment of soil moisture stocks.

However, the specialists are noting retention of closely-fit ice crust on separate fields of Cherkassy, Kiev and Sumy Regions. The crust is 1 to 18 mm in thickness. Also, the ministry specialists are warning the farmers that by the start of active vegetation processes the crops will have been in a weakened condition, since the period of winter calm in this season was shorter than usual. In this respect, special care should be accorded to growing technologies of winter grains, say the specialists.