Rainfall is canceled for March «kleinezeitung.at
The weather will soon be spring-like – and will remain dry. Nothing better can happen to agriculture at the moment.
Of Mathias Reif | 5:18 p.m., March 17, 2022
It starts next Sunday spring also astronomical. And only with a small delay does the corresponding weather appear. In the east of the country it will initially remain a little cooler, but stable high weather front but should give us mild temperatures and lots of sunshine with a delay in the middle of the week. Constantine Brandes from the weather service ubimet: “On Wednesday, the 15-degree mark is expected to be cracked, on Thursday there should even be the first 20s in Austria since February 17 on the slightly föhn winds on the north side of the Alps.”
However, the balcony views also mean that the rain is still a long time coming. “The strong high will also keep all fronts away from the Alpine region next week Extreme drought exacerbated continues to grow,” says Brandes. Rain and snow have already been scarce in March, even if the deficit is between 90 and 100 percent.
advantage for agriculture
Which affects some areas, such as the fire hazard in our forests, clearly has a negative impact on ours Agriculture integrated in the current situation but an opposite effect. “Yes, it’s very dry, but from our point of view that quickly leads to optimal conditions at the moment,” explains Arno Mayer, plant cultivation director at the Styrian Chamber of Agriculture. Summer cereals such as rye, wheat or Geste, which are now spread, do not yet require much moisture. The soil on the fields is not compressed as much as would be the case with moist soil. Even in the fields that are only being prepared for sowing, muddy, soaked soil would be more of a nuisance. And in the orchards, the drought – along with cold nights – delays flowering that is too early.
“A little rain in the foreseeable future would be desirable,” Mayer added. Because that would bind the fertilizer better in the ground. Russia and Ukraine are important fertilizer suppliers. These are no longer available, so existing stocks would have to be used optimally. And how long can our farms survive without significant precipitation? “Maize will be planted in April, then we need more water again,” says Mayer. The meadows also urgently need rain in April.