Global warming is increasingly affecting Ukrainian agriculture

Global warming is increasingly affecting Ukrainian agriculture, in particular the cultivation of traditional vegetables such as potatoes, cabbage and cucumbers. Climate change, in particular, increasing temperatures and irregular rainfall, are creating serious problems for these crops, making them vulnerable to diseases, pests and drought.

Vera Balabukh, Candidate of Geographical Sciences and Head of the Department of Applied Meteorology and Climatology at the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, explained these processes in an interview with Glavkom. According to her, climate change is having a serious impact on agricultural crops, and potatoes in particular are at risk due to warming.

One of the main problems for growing potatoes is the high temperatures in June, when this crop is actively growing. Under such conditions, potatoes can "bake" and rot. This is most threatening for the southern regions of Ukraine, where the soil temperature is much higher, and therefore the conditions for growing potatoes are becoming less and less favorable. Balabukh notes that agronomists should pay attention to the need to adjust planting dates or change growing technologies in order to obtain a stable harvest.

A similar situation is observed with cabbage and cucumbers. The lack of moisture contributes to the growing need for additional care for these crops, in particular, the introduction of drip irrigation or shading to protect against heat. Vera Balabukh notes that the prospects for the harvest of these vegetables largely depend on the amount of precipitation during the ripening period.

Forecasting the harvest is becoming an increasingly difficult task. For accurate forecasts, it is necessary to focus not only on climatic, but also on synoptic forecasts. Forecasters, Balabukh believes, will be able to provide detailed information about future frosts on the soil, as well as precipitation, which will help to accurately assess the prospects for the harvest before the season. Forecasts for the season can be more accurate after detailed analysis of weather conditions in the pre-season period.

Given these challenges, farmers must be prepared to adapt their working methods and adapt to changing climatic conditions.