Romania is going through a period in which the precipitation deficit is significant, and the signals are still that the situation will not change. This agricultural year will be one of the driest in history, says the general director of the National Meteorological Administration (ANM), Elena Mateescu.
According to specialized estimates, the most affected agricultural crops are corn and sunflower, while Moldova is the region hardest hit by extreme pedological drought, with the lowest amount of rainfall in history, 322.6 liters per square meter , this year.
“In this agricultural year Moldova is the most affected area. If in the agricultural year 2019 – 2020, the most recent dry agricultural year, in Dobrogea we recorded the lowest amount of precipitation in history, representing the lowest value, of only 229, 2 liters per square meter, this year in Moldova we register the lowest value, of 322.6 liters per square meter.We notice the shades of yellow that characterize the state of extreme pedological drought in Moldova, in Dobrogea, in Bărăgan, not in the last in Banat, in Crişana and in Maramureş, but also in the areas of the Romanian Plain or in the center, most of Transylvania”, said Elena Mateescu.
According to her, the largest water deficits are in the eastern half of the country, but also in the western-northwestern part of the country.
The most affected crops are corn and sunflower. There are also problems with fruit trees and vines, but the much deeper root system, compared to field crops, can provide a slight invigoration in terms of water consumption, said the director of ANM.