Even before the Jāņi heat the estimate of summer crops in the country, Latvian Agricultural Advisory and Training Centre (LLKC) specialists admitted that even in spite of impressive rain showers the summer crop harvest is expected to be good. Nevertheless – the situation may yet change.
So far summer crops have enough moisture. There are even regions in Latvia in which moisture is even excessive. LLKC Preiļi Office agriculture specialist Inese Magdalenoka explains: «There are concerns about summer wheat and barley, because after long rain showers, as a result of which some crops drowned, most farmers did not give nitrogen fertilizers to the fields, and now the situation there does not seem optimistic. Where fertilizers were provided, however, the fields are in good state.»
The situation is different in Kurzeme and Vidzeme.
«Before Jāņi in Kurzeme, except for Talsi and Dundaga, there was enough moisture and plants were generally in good shape. We have already noticed that summer crops will soon suffer a shortage of moisture,» says LLKC Agriculture Office specialist Ilze Skudra, adding: «Meanwhile in Vidzeme, Madona and Gulbene, which received up to 98 mm of precipitation, the roots of crops are now starting to have a shortage of oxygen, and they have started to turn yellow.»
LLKC Agriculture Office manager Oskars Balodis: «So far summer crops have enough moisture. It is too early to assess the influence of the heat, but if no extreme weather conditions appear, we can expect a good summer crop harvest. Thanks to a cool spring plants have developed well. Although there are some pests in the fields, very few diseases are observed among summer crops.»
Harvest projections suggest Latvia can expect good harvests of summer wheat in Zemgale – 4.8 t/ha (4.6 t/ha in 2021) and Latgale – 4.3 t/ha (4 t/ha in 2021). Summer colza also promises to be optimistic: 2 t/ha in Kurzeme (1.5 t/ha in 2021), 1.8 t/ha in Zemgale (1.3 t/ha in 2021). Buckwheat was sowed relatively recently. Its harvest is expected around 1.0 t/ha. The harvest of potatoes is expected at slightly above 24 t/ha.