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 tenth reporting period, i.e. from June 21st t° August 20th, 2022, the average value of Climatic Water Balance (CWB), which is the basis for assessing the risk of agricultural drought, was negative and equalled -123 mm. In the current sixty-day reporting period, the average CWB value has increased in relation to the previous reporting period (June 11th – August 10th) by 11 mm.

Water deficit for agricultural crops was recorded across the country.

The highest water deficit, ranging from -160 to -229 mm, occurred in the area of the Trzebnica Embankment and the Odra River Gorge in the Lubusz Land. Considerably high water deficit was also recorded in the central part of the Masurian Lake District, from -160 to -219 mm, in the Greater Poland Lake District, western part of the Pomeranian Lake District, as well as in the Greater Poland Lowland, and the Slovincian Coast, where it ranged from -160 to -209 mm. Only slightly less severe deficit was recorded in the Sandomierz Basin, and the Piotrków Plain, ranging from -160 to -199 mm. In the vast area of the country, water deficit ranged from -110 to -159 mm, whilst in the eastern part of the Pomeranian Lake District, eastern and western parts of the Masurian Lake District, in the Sudeten Foothills, the Lesser Poland Upland, the Lublin Upland and the Podlasie Lowland, water deficit was less severe, and ranged from 0 to -109 mm.

Based on the humidity conditions in the tenth 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.

Agricultural drought occurred in all the voivodeships in the country.

Agricultural drought was recorded in all the monitored crops:

• Maize for silage,
• Maize for grain,
• Fruit shrubs,
• Legumes,
• Potatoes,
• Ground vegetables,
• Tobacco,
• Hops,
• Sugar beet,
• Fruit trees.

In the tenth reporting period, from June 21st to August 20th, 2022, agricultural drought affected maize for silage the most. Drought was recorded in 872 municipalities (35.20% of all municipalities in Poland). In relation to the previous reporting period (June 11th t° August 10th, 2022), the number of municipalities affected by agricultural drought has decreased by 18.37%.

Agricultural drought was recorded in the area of 10.37% of arable land, which is 2.57% less than in the previous reporting period.

Detailed data on drought occurrence in maize for silage in particular voivodeships are presented in table 1.

Table 1. Agricultural drought in maize for silage

In the tenth reporting period, agricultural drought considerably affected also maize for grain. It was recorded in 813 municipalities (32.82% of all municipalities in Poland). In relation to the previous reporting period, the number of municipalities affected by agricultural drought has decreased by 11.23%.

Agricultural drought was recorded in the area of 9.49% of arable land, which is 3.03% less than in the previous reporting period.

Detailed data on drought occurrence in maize for grain in particular voivodeships are presented in table 2.

Table 2. Agricultural drought in maize for grain

Agricultural drought occurred in fruit shrubs as well. It was recorded in 639 municipalities (25.80% of all municipalities in Poland). In relation to the previous reporting period, the number of municipalities affected by agricultural drought has decreased by 8.31%.

Agricultural drought was recorded in the area of 9.97% of arable land, which is 1.79% less than in the previous reporting period.

Detailed data on drought occurrence in fruit shrubs in particular voivodeships are presented in table 3.

Table 3. Agricultural drought in fruit shrubs

Agricultural drought also occurred in legumes. It was recorded in 542 municipalities (21.88% of all municipalities in Poland). In relation to the previous reporting period, the number of municipalities affected by agricultural drought has decreased by 8.60%.

Agricultural drought was recorded in the area of 6.72% of arable land, which is 2.55% less than in the previous reporting period.

Detailed data on drought occurrence in legumes in particular voivodeships are presented in table 4.

Table 4. Agricultural drought in legumes

Agricultural drought was also recorded in potatoes. It was recorded in 397 municipalities (16.03% of all municipalities in Poland). In relation to the previous reporting period, the number of municipalities affected by agricultural drought has increased by 2.67%.

Agricultural drought was recorded in the area of 4.17% of arable land, which is 1.54% more than in the previous reporting period.

Detailed data on drought occurrence in potatoes in particular voivodeships are presented in table 5.

Table 5. Agricultural drought in potatoes

Agricultural drought affected ground vegetables as well. It was recorded in 299 municipalities (12.07% of all municipalities in Poland). In relation to the previous reporting period, the number of municipalities affected by agricultural drought has decreased by 4.89%.

Agricultural drought was recorded in the area of 2.71% of arable land, which is 1.11% less than in the previous reporting period.

Detailed data on drought occurrence in ground vegetables in particular voivodeships are presented in table 6.

Table 6. Agricultural drought in ground vegetables

In this sixty-day reporting period, agricultural drought was also recorded in tobacco. It occurred in 252 municipalities (10.17% of all municipalities in Poland). In relation to the previous reporting period, the number of municipalities affected by agricultural drought has decreased by 4.28%.

Agricultural drought was recorded in the area of 2.29% of arable land, which is 1.77% less than in the previous reporting period.

Detailed data on drought occurrence in tobacco in particular voivodeships are presented in table 7.

Table 7. Agricultural drought in tobacco

Agricultural drought also occurred in hops. It was recorded in 252 municipalities (10.17% of all municipalities in Poland). In relation to the previous reporting period, the number of municipalities affected by agricultural drought has decreased by 0.37%.

Agricultural drought was recorded in the area of 1.83% of arable land, which is 0.14% less than in the previous reporting period.

Detailed data on drought occurrence in hops in particular voivodeships are presented in table 8.

Table 8. Agricultural drought in hops

In this reporting period, agricultural drought was also recorded in sugar beets. It occurred in 128 municipalities (5.17% of all municipalities in Poland). In relation to the previous reporting period, the number of municipalities affected by agricultural drought has increased by 5.17%.

Agricultural drought was recorded in the area of 0.73% of arable land, which is 0.21% more than in the previous reporting period.

Detailed data on drought occurrence in sugar beets in particular voivodeships are presented in table 9.

Table 9. Agricultural drought in sugar beets

Agricultural drought was also recorded in fruit trees. It occurred in 27 municipalities (1.09% of all municipalities in Poland). In relation to the previous reporting period, the number of municipalities affected by agricultural drought has decreased by 2.18%.

Agricultural drought was recorded in the area of 0.07% of arable land, which is 0.44% less than in the previous reporting period.

Detailed data on drought occurrence in fruit trees in particular voivodeships are presented in table 10.

Table 10. Agricultural drought in fruit trees

This year’s June was warm. The highest temperatures were recorded in Lublin Polesie, in the Sandomierz Basin, and in the Lowlands: the Masovian, the Greater Poland and the Silesian, as well as in the Sudeten and Carpathian Foothills, ranging from 19 to more than 20°C (and exceeding the norm by 2 to 3°C). To the north, the temperature was lower, ranging from 18 to 19°C. The lowest temperatures were recorded in the Masurian and Pomeranian Lake Districts: from 16 to 18°C, however, they still exceeded the norm by 1.5 to 2°C.

In July, the lowest temperatures occurred in the north of Poland, ranging from 16 to 18°C. The further to the south, the higher was the temperature, ranging from 18 to 20°C. The highest temperature in July was recorded in the Silesian Lowland, where it exceeded 20°C.

In the first decade of August, the lowest temperatures were recorded in the eastern part of the country, ranging from 16 to 19°C, whilst in the western part of Poland temperatures were higher, from 19 to 22°C. In the second decade of the month, the lowest temperatures were recorded in the southeastern part of country, ranging from 17 to 20°C, whilst the highest were in the area of Lake Districts: the Greater Poland, Masurian (western part), and Pomeranian (southern part), from 22 to 24°C. In the rest of Poland, temperature ranged from 20 to 22°C.

In June, the highest number of sunny days was recorded in the eastern part of the Pomeranian Lake District, and in the southeastern and southwestern parts of Poland, where the sun was shining from 290 to 330 hours. In the rest of the country, insolation ranged from 260 to 290 hours. In the whole territory of Poland, insolation exceeded the norm by 20-100 hours.

In July, the lowest values of insolation were recorded in the northeastern part of the country, from 200 to 240 hours. The further to the south, and southwest especially, the higher was that number, reaching from 240 to 260 hours.

In the first decade of August, insolation was rather low in the majority of the country, ranging from 80 to 100 hours. In the Lublin Upland, the Silesian Lowland, the Greater Poland Lowland and the Slovincian Coastland, insolation records ranged from 100 to 120 hours. In the second decade of the month, the lowest insolation ranging from 60 to 70 hours was recorded in the southeast of Poland, whilst the highest, from 90 to 105 hours, was recorded in the north of the country. In the rest of Poland, insolation ranged from 70 to 90 hours.

In June, low precipitation values were recorded in the southeast and northwest of Poland, ranging from 20 to 50 mm (30-90% of the norm); whilst in the central Poland they were higher and ranged from 50 to 80 mm (90-110% of the norm). In the area of the Masurian Lake District, precipitation was even higher and reached 80-120 mm (110-160 of the norm).

In July, low precipitation was recorded in the west of Poland, ranging from 30 to 70 mm and constituting 30-90% of the multiannual norm. In the rest of the country, precipitation was more intense and ranged from 70 to 110 mm (80-110% of the norm), and in the eastern and southern parts of the country, it reached even 130 mm (110-150% of the norm).

In the first decade of August, very low precipitation (up to 5 mm), or even no precipitation at all, was recorded in the vast area of the country. Only in the narrow area stretching from the Silesian Lowland to the Podlasie Lowland, precipitation was more intense and ranged from 5 to 30 mm. In the second decade of the month, precipitation was more intense and ranged from 40 to 130 mm in the Sudeten Foothills and the Silesian Lowland, and from 40 to 90 mm in the Lublin Upland and in Kashubia, whilst in the rest of the country precipitation values ranged from 20 to 40 mm.

Both in the first and in the second agricultural drought reporting period, relatively low evapotranspiration values were recorded, namely, 2.5 mm/day. Due to higher precipitation values recorded in the second and third decade of May, water deficit decreased in relation to the first reporting period. In the third report, however, evapotranspiration increased to the value of 2.9 mm/day, in the fourth report to 3.3 mm/day, in the fifth to 3.8 mm/day, in both the sixth and seventh report it reached the value of 3.9 mm/day, in the eighth and tenth it equalled 4.1 mm/day, whilst in the ninth 4.2 mm/day.

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 August 20th, ten agricultural drought monitoring reports have been prepared. During this reporting 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,
• Fruit shrubs,
• Rapeseed and turnip rape,
• Strawberries,
• Maize for silage,
• Maize for grain,
• Legumes,
• Ground vegetables,
• Tobacco,
• Potatoes,
• Fruit trees,
• Hops,
• Sugar beet.

The occurrence of such yield losses in the country in the period of March 21st – August 20th, 2022, is presented in table 11.

Table 11. Agricultural drought in Poland in the period of March 21st – August 20th, 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.

This year’s weather conditions, considering:

• high insolation (3rd decade of March, 1st and 2nd decade of May, and 3rd decade of June).
• high wind speed (1st decade of April, 3rd decade of May).
• low air humidity (3rd decade of March, 1st and 2nd decade of May, and 3rd decade of June).
• high air temperature (June).
• low precipitation (2nd decade of March, 3rd decade of April, 1st and 2nd decade of May, 3rd decade of June, 2nd decade of July, and 1st decade of August)
• high precipitation in July, and 2nd decade of August
• increase in the potential evapotranspiration (3rd decade of July, and 2nd decade of August)

have led to a high water deficit for all the monitored crops across the country, resulting in yield losses due to water shortage in all the voivodeships in Poland.

In the current monitoring period, the scope of agricultural drought has decreased for the following crops: maize for grain and for silage, ground vegetables, fruit shrubs and trees, legumes, hops and tobacco, whilst in case of potatoes and sugar beets the area affected by agricultural drought has increased. In this reporting period, yield losses resulting from water deficit have occurred in all the voivodeships in Poland.

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