Spring Sowing: Expert Advises Considering the Risk of Cold Weather Returning After Warming

During the spring sowing period, it is essential to consider the likelihood of cold weather returning after early warming, as has happened repeatedly in previous years. This was emphasized by the product manager for sunflower development at Limagrain Ukraine, Denys Kanazirskyi.

This is reported by AgroReview

The Importance of Temperature Regime for Sunflower Sowing

The specialist highlighted that the optimal soil temperature at the depth of sunflower seed placement should not be lower than 8 °C. Adhering to this standard ensures quality seed germination and helps avoid the negative impact of potential cold spells.

Risks of Early Sowing and Hybrid Selection

According to Kanazirskyi, in practice, agronomic recommendations are not always feasible. Often, due to a lack of labor or equipment, especially on large areas, agricultural enterprises are forced to start sowing earlier. In such conditions, the choice of sunflower hybrids plays a crucial role, as they must be maximally adapted to environmental stress factors.

“At the same time, we understand that these are agronomic recommendations that are not always possible to follow in practice. Due to labor shortages or lack of equipment, especially over significant areas, farms often have to start sowing ahead of time. In such conditions, the main factor becomes the correct selection of hybrids, which are maximally adapted to stress conditions, to protect the crops from downy mildew at early stages of development,” said Kanazirskyi.

The expert added that using disease-resistant hybrids can reduce the risks of crop loss due to unfavorable weather conditions, especially in the early stages of plant development.