In the first ten days of February, the air temperature in the south and south-east of Kazakhstan was recorded above the norm by one to three degrees, in mountainous and foothill areas - below the norm by one or two, in the west - above the norm by 7-8 degrees.
The quarterly review of RSE "Kazhydromet" notes that intense thaws that took place in the southern regions during the reporting period could affect the winter hardiness of underdeveloped winter wheat crops. For example, an agribusinessman from the Kordai district of the Zhambyl region said during the February monitoring of the ZM that winter crops endure the current conditions hard: the plants get sick. In this area, the air temperature during this period rose to 13 degrees Celsius.
In general, in the comments of ZM, respondents from the Turkestan and Zhambyl regions reported that there was no snow cover in the fields by the beginning of February. Plant height by the reporting period was 10 cm. Unproductive precipitation in the form of rain was noted.
In areas where, nevertheless, there were insignificant precipitations in autumn, snow fell mainly on dry soil. Therefore, producers expect support in the growing season from spring rains. Otherwise, agrarians give an example of last year, when a “dry” April caused a low grain yield.
At the end of the decade, snowfall somewhat improved the formation of moisture reserves in the soil. Experts emphasize that the formation of snow cover up to 15 cm in height will favorably affect the conditions for overwintering of winter crops with a decrease in air temperature.
In the West Kazakhstan region, the height of the snow cover reaches from 27 to 29 cm, which satisfactorily affects the overwintering of winter crops.
According to meteorologists, the minimum soil temperature at the depth of the winter wheat tillering node in the south and southeast of the country ranged from minus one to six degrees.
It should be noted that for the reporting period of last year in the south of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the decrease in temperature below the norm was smoothed out by heavy rainfall.