Communication report regarding the incidences of drought conditions in Poland

The Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation – State Research Institute, in accordance with the Act of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development has developed the climatic water balance values for all 2477 Polish municipalities (gminas) and, based on soil categories, calculated the current risk of agricultural drought.

In the third reporting period, i.e. from April 11th to June 10th, 2020, the average of Climatic Water Balance values, which are the basis for assessing the risk of agricultural drought, was negative and equalled -47mm. In the analysed period it has increased by 28 mm in relation to the previous reporting period (April 1st – May 31st) and by 53 mm in relation to the first reporting period (March 21st – May 20th).

The largest water deficit in the period from April 11th t° June 10th ranging from -160 t° -179 mm was recorded in the area of Szczecin Coastland (Uznam, Wolin, Trzebiatów Coast, Goleniów Plain), in the Poznań Lake District and the Zielona Góra Hills. In these areas the decrease of CWB values reached from -10 to -20 mm in relation to the previous reporting period. Considerable water shortages, from -120 to -160 mm, were also recorded in the western part of the Pomeranian and Greater Poland Lake Districts. In large areas of the country water deficit ranged between -70 and -119 mm.

The highest CWB values (the lowest water deficit) were recorded in the area of the Carpathian Foothills, the Western Beskids, the Podlasie Lowland, and in the southern part of the Masurian Lake District. In these areas CWB values ranged from -50 to -119 mm.

Based on the current humidity conditions, IUNG-PIB states agricultural drought in the area of Poland.

Agricultural drought affected the following crops:

• Spring cereals,
• Winter cereals,
• Strawberries,
• Fruit shrubs,
• Fruit trees.

Agricultural drought was stated in the following voivodeships:

• Lubuskie,
• Zachodniopomorskie,
• Wielkopolskie,
• Kujawsko-pomorskie,
• Łódzkie,
• Dolnośląskie,
• Warmińsko-mazurskie,
• Lubelskie,
• Pomorskie,
• Podlaskie,
• Opolskie.

In the third reporting period, from April 11th t° June 10th, 2020, the highest risk of agricultural drought occurred for spring cereals. Agricultural drought in this crop was recorded in 419 gminas (16.92% of all gminas in Poland). In relation to the previous reporting period, the number of gminas affected by agricultural drought has decreased by 177, which constitutes 7.14%.

Drought occurred in 11 voivodeships, in the area of 5.3% of arable land (decrease by 3.24%). Table 1 presents detailed data on drought occurrence in spring cereals in particular voivodeships.

Tab. 1. Agricultural drought in spring cereals

Agricultural drought occurred also in winter cereals. It was recorded in 315 gminas in Poland (12.72% of all gminas in the country). In relation to the previous reporting period, the number of gminas affected by agricultural drought has decreased by 160, which constitutes 2.14%.

Agricultural drought occurred in 10 voivodeships, in the area of 3.16% of arable land (decrease by 2.14% in relation to the previous reporting period). Table 2 presents detailed data on drought occurrence in winter cereals in particular voivodeships.

Tab. 2. Agricultural drought in winter cereals

Agricultural drought occurred also in strawberries. It was recorded in 237 gminas in Poland (9.57% of all gminas in the country). In relation to the previous reporting period, the number of gminas affected by agricultural drought has decreased by 156, which constitutes 6.3%.

Drought conditions were stated in 6 voivodeships, in the area of 2.19% of arable land (decrease by 2.17% of arable land). Table 3 presents detailed data on drought occurrence in strawberries in particular voivodeships.

Tab. 3. Agricultural drought in strawberries

Agricultural drought affected also fruit shrubs. It was recorded in 195 gminas in Poland (7.87% of all gminas in the country). In relation to the previous reporting period, the number of gminas affected by agricultural drought has decreased by 9, which constitutes 0.37%.

Agricultural drought occurred in 6 voivodeships, in the area of 1.31% of arable land (decrease by 0.02% of arable land). Table 4 presents detailed data on drought occurrence in fruit shrubs in particular voivodeships

Tab. 4. Agricultural drought in fruit shrubs

Agricultural drought affected also fruit trees. It was recorded in 2 gminas in Poland (0.08% of all gminas in the country). Table 5 presents detailed data on drought occurrence in fruit trees.

Tab. 5. Agricultural drought in fruit trees

April was warm this year, with temperatures ranging from 6 to more than 10°C. The highest values were recorded in the south-western part of the country (from 9 to more than 10°C, which exceeded the norm by 1 to more than 1.5°C). The further north-east, the lower was the temperature, ranging between 6-8°C. In the vast areas of the country temperatures in April exceeded the multiannual norm by 0.5 to 1°C. It is worth noting that the sunshine duration was considerable in April, reaching even more than 300h in the southern part of the country, which is 100% more than the multiannual norm, and more than 270h in north-eastern regions, which is 70% more than the norm. Such solar-thermal conditions led to exceptionally high evapotranspiration.

In the first decade of May, in the vast areas of the country temperatures ranged from 11 to 13°C. It was colder in the north and south of Poland, with temperatures between 9 and 11°C, and even lower in the Carpathian Foothills: only 8-9°C. In the second decade of the month it was still cool in the majority of areas, with temperatures falling between 9 and 10.5°C. The lowest temperatures were recorded in the northern regions, with values ranging between 8 and 9°C, and the highest in the south-western part of Poland and the Sandomierz Basin: from 11°C to more than 11.5°C. In the third decade of May temperatures were considerably low throughout the country, ranging from 11 to more than 13°C, but only 8-11°C in the Sudetes and Carpathian Foothills.

In the first decade of June, the highest temperatures (from 14 to 16°C) were recorded in the vast area of Central Poland. In the south and north of the country it was colder, from 12 to 14°C.

In April precipitation was scarce, particularly in the north of Poland (below 10 mm) where it constituted from below 10 to 20% of the multiannual norm. The further south, the higher precipitation occurred, ranging from 10 to more than 30 mm and constituting 20 to more than 40% of the norm.

In May precipitation was highly diversified. In the first decade of the month the highest precipitation values were recorded in the east of Poland, ranging from 20 to 50 mm, with the exception of Podlasie, where they ranged from 10 to 20 mm. Similar values were recorded in the vast majority of the country. The lowest precipitation, between 5 and 10 mm, occurred in the north-western part of Poland. In the second decade of May precipitation was still very scarce, from 5 to 15 mm. Similar values were recorded in the following voivodeships: lubelskie, świętokrzyskie, śląskie and opolskie. Relatively intense rainfalls (15-35 mm) occurred in the area extending from the Sudetes, through the Silesian, Greater Poland, and Masovian Lowlands, to the Masurian Lake District. In this period, the highest precipitation occurred in the north-eastern part of the country, reaching from 35 to more than 50 mm.

Precipitation was highly diversified throughout Poland in the third decade of the month, ranging from very low values in the north of the country (from below 5 to 20 mm) to very high (above 50 mm) in the south-eastern regions of Poland. The highest precipitation values, above 100 mm, were recorded in the Ostrawska and Oświęcimska Basins, Western Beskidian Foothills and Western Beskids.

In the first decade of June precipitation was intense or very intense throughout the country, reaching from 15 to 100 mm. Only in the north-western regions and in the Silesian, Kraków-Częstochowa and Małopolska Uplands precipitation was lower than 5 to 15 mm.

As stated by IUNG-PIB, water deficiency in crops in the period of April 11th t° June 10th has decreased by 10-25 mm in relation to the previous reporting period (April 1st – May 31st) and by 50 mm in relation to the first one (March 21st – May 20th). The area affected by agricultural drought has reduced for all monitored crops: spring and winter cereals, strawberries, and fruit trees and shrubs. The number of gminas and the area of arable land affected by agricultural drought.

Lack of sufficient precipitation can still be observed in the north-western part of Poland, where it leads to considerable water deficiency in soil. Due to a constant water shortage, agricultural drought is still recorded in a large number of gminas and in vast areas of the voivodeships: lubuskie, zachodniopomorskie and wielkopolskie. Whereas humidity conditions improved significantly in the following voivodeships: łódzkie, lubelskie, świętokrzyskie, śląskie, małopolskie and podlaskie, where water deficiency decreased.

Executive Director

Prof. dr hab. Wiesław Oleszek

Report prepared by: Dr hab. Andrzej Doroszewski, prof. IUNG-PIB, Dr hab. Rafał Pudełko, Dr Katarzyna Żyłowska, Dr Jan Jadczyszyn, Mgr Piotr Koza, Mgr Elżbieta Wróblewska