Winter crops in Lipetsk region are in satisfactory condition

Monthly monitoring is carried out in the region.
Lipetsk journalists together with specialists from the Lipetsk Agrochemical Service Center went to the fields to collect samples of winter crops for analysis of sugar content in plants.
This year, the region has had an unusual winter. An abnormally warm January, with virtually no snow. And the sowing of winter crops at the end of last year took place in unfavorable conditions - with soil and atmospheric drought.
Taking samples for sugars is the second stage of monitoring the condition of winter crops. The first, soil diagnostics, was last fall, immediately after germination. It helps to understand how much and what kind of mineral fertilizers the plants need. At the second stage, the amount of sugars in the tillering node is determined. 100-150 plants taken from the field are taken to the laboratory. "The situation with abnormal weather conditions affected the accumulation of sugars. The results of monitoring conducted by the agrochemical service in late January-early February show that the sugar content in winter crops is 5-7% lower than the long-term average and ranges from 7 to 16%," said Yuri Siskevich, Director of the Lipetsk Agrochemical Service Center.
The third stage of monitoring will be in late February-early March. This is a monolithic method that determines the viability of plants. The last one is leaf diagnostics.
"Much will depend on further wintering conditions," emphasized Alexey Pichugin, Head of the Department of Plant Growing, Technical and Innovation Policy of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Lipetsk Region. "If farmers are well prepared for spring field work, for spring fertilizing, work on quality, carry out all agrotechnical work, then I think we will harvest a good crop, no worse than last year."
The total area of ​​crops in the Lipetsk Region this year will be more than 1.4 million hectares. Grain and leguminous crops will occupy 780 thousand hectares. Of these, winter crops have already been planted on 333 thousand hectares.