The Impact of Climate Change on Changes in the Onset and Termination of Growing Seasons and the Area of Agriculturally Usable Land in Slovakia

The projected climate change in Slovakia is expected to have a significant impact on temperature and moisture conditions in agricultural production, as well as on phenological patterns and soil properties. These alterations have the potential to diminish crop yields in regions experiencing summer heat, augment soil evaporation, and elevate the probability of drought. The objective of this study was to evaluate and revise the spatial extent of vegetation zones and agricultural land. A detailed analysis of the past 30 years revealed that the growing season has become both earlier in the year and later in the year in terms of its onset and cessation. Projections indicate that, by 2091–2100, the great growing season (GGS) will be 25–30 days longer and the main growing season (MGS) 20 days longer than at present. The results indicate that the extended growing seasons will encompass larger areas and gradually shift to higher altitudes. At present, the 220–240-day category of the GGS spatial domain is dominant (1.7–2.3 million hectares), while durations of the GGS exceeding 260 days, which were absent in the 1971–1980 period, are expected to increase the area of the growing season by approximately 55,000 hectares by 2100. For the MGS, the 160–190-day category remains prevalent (approximately 2.5 million hectares), with only moderate future increases of up to 220 days being expected. It is anticipated that extended durations will remain constrained, encompassing less than 50,000 hectares.