Agrometeorological forecast for September

At the beginning of September, agrometeorological conditions will be determined by dry, warm and, in many places in the lowland areas, hot weather, which will accelerate the progress of the final stages of development of late field crops. During the first week of the month, the medium-late maize hybrids will reach waxy and full ripeness, while the late hybrids will be in the milk stage and the transition to waxy ripeness.

On most days of the first ten-day period, the conditions will remain suitable for carrying out sunflower harvesting and for releasing the areas sown with earlier maize hybrids. At the end of the ten-day period, a decrease in temperatures and a change in the agrometeorological conditions are forecast. The expected precipitation, after the intensifying drought at the end of the summer, will improve the condition of the upper soil layers, which is a prerequisite for higher-quality pre-sowing tillage and sowing of winter oilseed rape. The optimal agrotechnical periods for sowing oilseed rape are until the end of the second ten-day period of September.

During the second and third ten-day periods, the agrometeorological conditions will be determined by temperatures close to the climatic norms. By mid-September, the late maize hybrids will complete their development; rice will be in waxy and full ripeness, and sugar beet will reach technical ripeness. In the third ten-day period, earlier than the usual dates, the late wine grape varieties will reach technological ripeness. Cotton will be in the ripening stage.

The forecast precipitation during the second half of the second and the beginning of the third ten-day period will be of major importance for the normal emergence of oilseed rape. In the regions where moisture is not a limiting factor, in crops sown within the agrotechnical period, the emergence stage will be observed at the end of September. In the emergence stage, serious damage to oilseed rape is caused by the cabbage stem flea beetle (adult individuals) and the rape leaf sawfly (false caterpillars), which requires monitoring during this stage to determine the occurrence and population density of the pests. When the density exceeds the economic injury threshold (EIT for cabbage stem flea beetle - 2 beetles per m²; EIT for rape sawfly 2-3 false caterpillars per m²), treatment is mandatory.

In September, for vegetable crops from late field production, plant protection treatments against the caterpillars of the third generation of cotton bollworm should not be underestimated, as they cause damage and deteriorate the quality of the vegetable yield.

During the third ten-day period of the month, in the higher fields the possibility of frost formation cannot be ruled out, which should be taken into account when harvesting vegetable crops susceptible to frost (tomatoes, peppers).

Source: NIMH