When and what to sow: here’s what to expect this autumn and winter
2024. October 3.In recent years, the area sown to some crops has decreased significantly. Oilseed rape in particular is under threat, and it is looking very unlikely that the weather in the future will be kind to it either. It is never a good idea to start sowing early, so those who can should postpone sowing until as late as possible.
It should start at the beginning of September, but more and more people are now considering not doing it at all. With so little water in the fields, it’s not worth doing. But what weather can we expect in the colder months? How much sense does it make to sow kalashniki?
In this article we answer this question.
Long-term forecasts
Researchers predict that in September, Hungary will be 0.5-1 degrees warmer than the historical average in the continent. This means that there will be less rain, with around 10 mm less than usual each year. But it is the weather in October and December that is most at risk, with the greatest deviation from the norm. We are looking at a warming of around 1 to 1.5 degrees Celsius, and these are only conservative estimates. In terms of precipitation, however, we can expect around average amounts almost everywhere, with the deviation being more in the distribution. As has almost always been the case recently, we can expect no better in the future. There will be days and weeks of continuous heavy rainfall, followed by at least the same amount of time without rain. The exception to this is November, where we could see around 20 mm more rain than the long-term average this year.
What about the time of the lentils?
The biggest problem is that when it’s time to sow the kalas, it’s too hot and the rain doesn’t really come. This is mainly bad for fodder crop production because the weather favours aphids and cicadas. In the future, it is best to leave sowing until the second half of September or possibly the beginning of October, so that when the rains come in November, they have a positive effect on the crop. With December expected to be warm, we can’t go far wrong. In January, however, we can expect the weather to be as usual. So, as is usual in winter, there will be plenty of frost, with temperatures just a quarter to a half degree warmer than average. But snowfall is still unlikely, making pest control difficult.
Strategic planning
The rotation is more flexible thanks to double cropping. Double cropping also plays a big role in autumn production. It helps to prevent wind and water erosion, and it is also the best way to retain nitrogen in the soil. Silage is made from cereals sown in autumn and harvested in early spring. The modern varieties are bred for mass forage, making them more drought tolerant than grass, but great care must be taken with the width of the harvest window.
Nitrogen fixation is the key to autumn sowing
Alfalfa plays a major role in nitrogen retention and is a useful arable crop for a number of reasons. It is mainly used as fodder for livestock, but is often preserved as senage and, when green, dried and ground, it is used to make alfalfa meal. It is an excellent source of protein and its benefits are being increasingly recognised because of its favourable amino acid composition and vitamin content. The plant has a deep, branched root system which can act as a soil loosener. The roots and root nodules contain bacteria that fix nitrogen in the air, which is then used by the alfalfa. This allows the plant to fix up to 60-70 kg of nitrogen per hectare per year. And plants left in the same place for several years can leave up to 35-50 t/ha of organic matter in the soil, thanks to their strong root system. As our country is perfectly suited to growing blue-flowered alfalfa, it is worth ensuring that the soil is ready for sowing in spring. It is frost-tolerant, which can be improved by giving the alfalfa time to grow 10-15 cm after the last mowing before the first frosts arrive. In addition, as our climate warms up, there is an even greater chance that the alfalfa will thrive and help farmers increase their yields.