News Crop growth
Heat impact on grains remains limited
According to figures from the European Commission (EC), the heat impact on cereals in the European Union remains limited. This can be read in the MARS report of July. The situation is different for crops such as (grain) maize, sugar beet and potatoes. In this crucial phase they require sufficient moisture.
The EC speaks of a slightly negative effect on the yield of wheat, barley, rye and triticale. This is due to a short-lived intense heat wave at the end of June. The grain filling of winter and summer cereals was negatively affected by this in France, Germany and Poland, among others.
Small reduction
Compared to a month earlier states the Commission will increase the yield forecast by a percentage. This means that the winter wheat yield is still in the plus (1,6%) compared to the 5-year average. Winter barley is also up almost 4%. For spring barley there is a minus of -1,6%.
Crops maturing later, such as grain maize, have suffered more from the heat. Nevertheless, the EC has added a plus here, due to favorable conditions elsewhere in Europe. This is Southeastern Europe. Western and Central Europe will remain very warm and dry. In France, Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland and the Benelux, the stock of soil moisture is very low.
Waiting for potatoes
The maps in the MARS report, based on satellite images, do split the Netherlands and Belgium in two. The eastern and southeastern Netherlands is considerably drier than the coastal regions. This applies to both the crop status and the stock of soil moisture. For potatoes and sugar beet, the EC now records a minus of 4% and 2,5% in the hectare yield. However, the weather in the coming weeks will be decisive for these crops.
In Spain and Italy, the winter cereal harvest has now been completed. Due to persistent drought, the yields there are severely disappointing. In the southern part of France, the yield is also considerably lower. Further north, sufficient rain has fallen during the grain filling period.
Good grass growth
It is perhaps striking that the EC speaks of positive grass growth in the period between May and July. Rain and high temperatures have resulted in a lot of grass, it reports. In Spain and northern Italy, grass growth has been adversely affected by drought, and this is also the case in parts of Germany and Poland.
Niels van der Boom
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