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 calculated the climatic water balance values for all 2477 Polish municipalities (gminas) and, based on soil categories, assessed the current risk of agricultural drought.

In the third reporting period, i.e. from April 11th to June 10th, 2022, the average value of Climatic Water Balance (CWB), which is the basis for assessing the risk of agricultural drought, was negative and equalled -95 mm. In the current sixty-day reporting period, the average CWB value has decreased in relation to the previous reporting period (April 1st – May 31st) by 19 mm.

Water deficit for agricultural crops was still recorded across all the country. The highest water deficit, ranging from -160 to -179 mm occurred in the Lubusz Land. Also high water deficit, from -130 to -159 mm, was recorded in the following Lake Districts: Greater Poland, Slovincian, and Pomeranian, in Lublin Polesie, Kujavia, and the Greater Poland Lowland. In the vast area of the northeastern Poland and in Lublin Polesie, water shortages ranged from -100 to -119 mm, whilst in the southeastern regions water deficit was smaller, from 0 to -100 mm. In the vast area of eastern, southern and southeastern Poland, water shortages were less severe, ranging from 0 to -119 mm.

Based on the humidity conditions in the second reporting period, IUNG-PIB states the occurrence of agricultural drought in the area of Poland.

Below we present the occurrence of agricultural drought in the area of Poland, resulting in crop yield reduction by at least 20% at municipality level in relation to the yield obtained in the multiannual average weather conditions.

Agricultural drought occurred in the following voivodeships:

• Zachodniopomorskie
• Wielkopolskie
• Lubuskie
• Kujawsko-pomorskie
• Pomorskie
• Lubelskie
• Dolnośląskie
• Łódzkie
• Opolskie
• Warmińsko-mazurskie
• Świętokrzyskie
• Mazowieckie.

Agricultural drought was recorded in five crops:

• Spring cereals
• Winter cereals
• Strawberries
• Fruit shrubs
• Rapeseed and turnip rape.

In the third reporting period, from April 11th to June 10th, 2022, agricultural drought affected spring cereals the most. Drought was recorded in 788 municipalities (31.81% of all municipalities in Poland). In relation to the previous reporting period, the number of municipalities affected by agricultural drought has increased by 76.87%. Agricultural drought was recorded in the area of 7.83% of arable land, which is 29.36% more than in the previous reporting period. Detailed data on drought occurrence in spring cereals in particular voivodeships are presented in table 1.

Table 1. Agricultural drought in spring cereals

Agricultural drought also occurred in winter cereals. It was recorded in 501 municipalities (20.23% of all municipalities in Poland). In relation to the previous reporting period, the number of municipalities affected by agricultural drought has increased by 63.79%. Agricultural drought was recorded in the area of 3.81% of arable land, which is 18.46% more than in the previous reporting period. Detailed data on drought occurrence in winter cereals in particular voivodeships are presented in table 2.

Table 2. Agricultural drought in winter cereals

In this sixty-day reporting period, agricultural drought was also recorded in strawberries. It occurred in 255 municipalities (10.29% of all municipalities in Poland). In relation to the previous reporting period, the number of municipalities affected by agricultural drought has increased by 51.39%. Agricultural drought was recorded in the area of 1.72% of arable land, which is 15.33% more than in the previous reporting period. Detailed data on drought occurrence in strawberries in particular voivodeships are presented in table 3.

Table 3. Agricultural drought in strawberries

Agricultural drought affected fruit shrubs as well. It was recorded in 152 municipalities (6.14% of all municipalities in Poland). In relation to the previous reporting period, the number of municipalities affected by agricultural drought has increased by 21.97%. Agricultural drought was recorded in the area of 1.04% of arable land, which is 3.46% more than in the previous reporting period. Detailed data on drought occurrence in fruit shrubs in particular voivodeships are presented in table 4.

Table 4. Agricultural drought in fruit shrubs

Agricultural drought also occurred in rapeseed and turnip rape. It was recorded in 2 municipalities (0.08% of all municipalities in Poland), in the area of 0.01% of arable land. Detailed data on drought occurrence in rapeseed and turnip rape in particular voivodeships are presented in table 5.

Table 5. Agricultural drought in rapeseed and turnip rape

This year’s April was cold, in the eastern and northern parts of Poland temperatures ranged from 4 to 7°C, only to the west it was slightly warmer, from 7 to 8°C. In more than half of the territory: south, southeast, and east of Poland, the temperatures were lower than multiannual norm by 2-3°C, and in the rest of the country by 1-2°C

In May, the temperature was highly diversified. The highest values were recorded in the south and southwestern regions of Poland, exceeding 14°C in the first and third decade and ranging from 15 to 16°C in the second decade of the month. To the north, the temperature was lower, ranging from 12.5 to 14°C in the first decade, and from 12 to 15°C in the second. To the north from those regions, the temperature was lower, ranging from 12.5 to 14°C in the first and third decade of May, and from 12 do 15°C in the second decade. The further to the northeast, the lower was getting the temperature, eventually reaching 9-11°C.

In the first decade of June, the highest temperatures were recorded in Lublin Polesie and in the Carpathian Foothills - exceeding 18°C. High temperatures occurred also in the Lowlands: Masovian, Greater Poland, and Silesian, ranging from 17 to 18°C. Slightly lower values were recorded in the Lake Districts: Greater Poland and Masurian (in the south), ranging from 16.5 to 17°C. Whilst in the northern part of the Masurian Lake District and in the southern part of the Pomeranian Lake District, temperatures ranged from 15.5 to 16.5°C. The lowest temperature was recorded in the Slovincian Coastland and in the northern part of the Pomeranian Lake District: from 13.5 to 14.5°C.

The second decade of May was characterised by high insolation in the south of Poland, reaching from 105 to more than 120 hours. In the northern part of the country, sunshine duration was lower, from 75 to 105 hours, with the exception of the coastline, where it ranged from 100 to 115 hours with the sun. In the third decade of May, sunshine duration in all the country was lower in relation to the previous decade by about 40 hours.

In the first decade of June, the highest number of sunny days was recorded in the Slovincian Coastland and in the Podlasie Lowland, namely, from 90 to 100 hours. In the rest of the country those numbers were slightly lower, from 70 to 100 hours.

April was highly diversified in terms of precipitation. In the eastern parts of the country, precipitation reached 40-60 mm and remained within the multiannual norm, or even exceeded it by 30%. In the majority of areas, precipitation values ranged from 20 to 40 mm, and in the north of Poland constituted 30 to 100% of the norm, whilst in the west from 100 to 130%.

In the first decade of May, precipitation in the whole country was very scarce, below 5 mm, and only in some areas exceeded 20 mm. In the second decade of the month, the south of Poland was still suffering lack of precipitation. In the area of the Greater Poland Upland, however, precipitation values were higher, ranging from 10 to 35 mm, whilst in the Masurian Lake District they reached from 10 to 25 mm. In the rest of the country, precipitation ranged from 5 to 10 mm. The third decade of May was highly diversified in terms of rainfall intensity in Poland. Low precipitation, ranging from 5 to 20 mm, was recorded in the Beskids, the Carpathian Foothills, the Sandomierz Basin, the Lublin Upland, in the Greater Poland Lake District as well as in the Greater Poland Lowland. Relatively high precipitation, ranging from 30 to 70 mm, occurred in the Masurian and Pomeranian Lake Districts.

In the first decade of June, low precipitation values were recorded in the east and west of Poland, ranging from 10 to 20 mm, whilst in the central Poland they ranged from 25 to 35 mm. In the area of Uplands: Silesian, Kraków-Częstochowa, and Lesser Poland, precipitation was more intense and ranged from 36 to 100 mm. Only slightly lower values were recorded in Kuyavia, in the Masurian Lake District and in the Eastern Beskids, ranging from 36 to 70 mm.

Both in the first and in the second agricultural drought reporting period, relatively low evapotranspiration values were recorded, namely, 2.5 mm/day. In the second reporting period, water deficit has decreased due to higher precipitation values recorded in the second and third decade of May. In the third report, however, evapotranspiration increased to the value of 2.9 mm/day, which led to the increase in water deficit, especially in the west of Poland.

We would like to inform that in accordance with the definition included in the Act of 7 July 2005 on insurance of agricultural crops and livestock (Journal of Laws No. 150, item 1249, as amended): “drought” means damage caused by the occurrence, in any sixty-day period from March 21st to September 30th, of a decline in the climatic water balance below the value specified for each crop species and soil type”. Thus, occurrence of drought in whichever sixty-day reporting period causes yield reduction by at least 20% at municipality level in relation to the yield obtained in the multiannual average weather conditions.

In this year's growing season, from March 21st to June 10th, three agricultural drought monitoring reports were prepared. During this period, water shortages reducing yield by at least 20% compared to the yield obtained in average weather conditions were recorded for the following crops:

• Spring cereals,
• Winter cereals,
• Strawberries,
• Fruit shrubs,
• Rapeseed and turnip rape.

The occurrence of such yield losses in the country in the period of March 21st – June 10th, 2022, is presented in table 6.

Table 6. Agricultural drought in Poland in the period of 21.03-10.06.2022.

Detailed data on yield losses incurred in particular voivodeships presented using maps and tables are available on the website of the Agricultural Drought Monitoring System at: www.susza.iung.pulawy.pl, where you can select:

Drought risk maps \ Select crop \ Select period – in the case of period, the “Maximum range” option should be selected in order to obtain the following information on drought occurrence:

• number of affected municipalities,
• share of affected municipalities,
• share of the acreage affected by drought

in a selected voivodeship. The presented data is the sum of all municipalities and areas affected by drought from the beginning of the monitoring period (from March 21st) in a given year up to the current report. We would like to emphasize that only the maximum range is the most reliable for indication of drought occurrence at the country, voivodeship, municipality and cadastral parcels’ levels.

The prevailing weather conditions this spring, due to high insolation, high wind speed, and scarce precipitation resulted in yield losses due to water deficit in 14 voivodeships. Such losses were not recorded in the Małopolskie and Podkarpackie voivodeships.

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 Anna Jędrejek, Mgr Małgorzata Kozak, Adrian Matczuk, Mgr Beata Murat, Mgr Agata Ścibior