First cotton fields sown in southern Ukraine as experiment amid climate change

Farmers in Odesa region sowed a number of local fields with five experimental varieties of cotton.

This was announced on Facebook by the Department of Agrarian Policy, Food and Land Relations of the Odesa State Administration, Ukrinform reports.

"The first sprouts will be seen within two weeks," the report says.

It is noted that the south of Ukraine has the most favorable soil and climatic conditions for growing cotton, especially in areas suffering from a rapid climate change leading to drought. The research by the Institute of Climate-oriented Agriculture at the National Academy of Sciences says the yield of cotton on dry land is 1.8 tonnes per hectare, and on irrigated land it is 2.7 tha.

Nearly 10 enterprises across Odesa region intend to sow small experimental fields as part of the crop feasibility study for the steppe zone climate.

Cotton is an annual crop with virtually no waste, the research says. It yields fiber (up to 40%) and seeds (60%), used to produce technical oil, cake for animal husbandry, and box leaves for biofuel. In addition, cotton waste is a strategic raw material for gunpowder production, which is critical for Ukraine’s defenses.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, 4,320,200 hectares of cereals and legumes have already been sown on the territory controlled by the Ukrainian government.