Monitoring Droughts and Impacts on Crop Yield in Ukraine from Weather and Satellite Data

Abstract

The agrarian sector is an important component of the Ukrainian economy. Within this sector about 20% of able-bodied citizens of the country are employed and 12–15% of the gross domestic product is formed. During previous years simultaneous with the tendency of improved agricultural technology, the significant fluctuations of crops productivity owing to weather conditions, first of all owing to droughts, increase. Their frequency and intensity rise. Every 2–3 years the drought covers up to 20–40% of the country territory. Crop losses owing to droughts can run up to 50% and more. There is a dangerous tendency of drought distribution over territory which earlier belonged to a zone of sufficient moisture. In the Ukraine, climate fluctuations affecting crop production account for a 20–50% loss of winter crops and 35–75% loss of summer crops.