The European sowing campaign for winter cereals has been completed on time in most of central and northern Europe, and is currently progressing in the south.
In most parts of Europe, continued fair autumn weather provided good conditions for farmers to progress with the sowing of winter crops, as well as for emergence and early development of the seedlings.
However, rain deficit in central and eastern Europe raises some concern.
In fact dry conditions in Czechia, Slovakia, southern Ukraine and northern Romania, resulted in delays in winter wheat sowing and crop emergence.
In contrast, high rainfall in central and southern Italy and large parts of the Balkan region even if seems did not impact that much on the sowing of winter crops, with the exception of Croatia, where a moderate delay in emergence is observed, it is causing some delays especially in South Italy where sowing started earlier than usual, but continuos rainfall are delaying sowing works.
In Spain and Portugal, in contrast, rainfall at the end of October and the first days of November created adequate soil moisture conditions for sowing and germination, but more rainfall is needed for sowing to progress and to sustain crop establishment.
However, the mild temperatures in southern areas allow the sowing window to be extended until December, ensuring more appropriate soil moisture conditions for crop germination.
Durum wheat sowing has started in southern Europe, but in Spain, farmers in the south, where durum wheat is mainly cultivated, are waiting for more substantial rain to start the sowing campaign, while in Italy farmers were stopped by rainfall.
