Polish Agriculture in the Face of Climate Change: Better or Worse?

ABSTRACT The growing season is the period when weather conditions (e.g., precipitation, temperature, wind, etc.) support plant growth and development, thereby enabling agricultural production in a given region. This study examines the impact of climate change on agricultural conditions and production in Poland between 1961 and 2020, using data from 47 meteorological stations. The research period was divided into two parts: the baseline period (1961–1990) and the warming phase (1991–2020), the latter characterised by more rapid global warming. The paper analyses the characteristics of the growing season as well as unfavourable and extreme meteorological events occurring at different stages of plant development, including frost, prolonged or heavy rainfall, and atmospheric drought. The results indicate a significant increase in mean temperatures throughout the study period, which contributed to an extension of the growing season and of its specific stages, i.e., periods of intensive growth and ripening by 6, 10, and 14 days, respectively. However, the analysis of adverse meteorological characteristics/events during these phases generally reveals ‘no significant changes’ in their frequency or intensity. Summer drought remains the most critical threat to plant development and agricultural production. Although no increase in precipitation‐free periods was observed during the ripening stage, rising temperatures accelerated evaporation and plant transpiration, thereby intensifying drought conditions and increasing associated risk.