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QClimate risksWhat are the most dangerous moments for crops in heat and drought?
Expert answer
In short: The most dangerous are heat above 30–32 °C at wheat flowering and droughts of over 30–40 days in the growing season.
The climate in the region brings not so much lower as more unstable yields — good and bad years alternate more sharply. The damage is greatest when heat or drought coincides with a sensitive growth stage.
| Crop / risk | Critical moment | Loss according to the literature |
|---|---|---|
| Winter wheat — heat | Above 30–32 °C during flowering and grain filling | About 5–10% of yield for each day at that temperature |
| Maize — heat | Around 35 °C during tasseling and silking | Severely reduced pollination and grain filling |
| Wheat and sunflower — drought | Drought of more than 30–40 days during the growing season | On average 10–25%, over 30% in extreme years |
What you can do:
- Spread the risk — more crops and 2–3 varieties of one crop with different maturity, so that not all of them hit the same heatwave.
- Choose drought-tolerant varieties tested in the region and sow at the optimal date so the crop gets ahead of the summer heat.
- Conserve moisture — crop residues, minimum tillage, more humus (see section F).
- Match nitrogen to moisture — moderate fertilisation gives more stable yields over the years than high rates.
- If you have water — irrigate first in critical stages (for cereals from tillering to flowering and grain filling); timely supplementary irrigation reduces losses in dry years by 20–30%.
Material: Training Module 2, sections 2.1, 2.3 and 3.2; Literature review (Goranova), chapter 4.