November is suitable for planting fruit trees

This year, the unfavorable agrometeorological conditions at the beginning of autumn, the prolonged drought, and the subsequent above-normal precipitation in October impeded the implementation of seasonal soil tillage. In most parts of the country, due to these objective reasons, the agrotechnical deadlines for sowing winter cereal crops were missed.

In November, the agrometeorological conditions will be determined by temperatures and precipitation around and above the climatic norms.

At the beginning of November, a substantial increase in temperatures and activation of vegetative processes in the sown autumn crops is expected. By the middle of the first ten-day period, in most of the field areas, conditions will allow the carrying out of pre-sowing tillage and the sowing of autumn crops. Exceptions will occur in places in the Thracian Lowland, where the precipitation in October exceeded the monthly norms three to four times (Plovdiv-152l/m², Pazardzhik-160l/m², Haskovo-181l/m², Stara Zagora-150l/m², Chirpan-151l/m²), which led to overmoistening of the 50cm soil layer.

At the end of the first week of November, the agrometeorological conditions will undergo a change. Until the middle of the month, they will be determined by unstable weather. The expected precipitation during this period will delay the completion of autumn sowing. There is a high probability that the late-sown November crops will not manage to enter the tillering stage, the appropriate phase for overwintering, by the end of their autumn vegetation.

During the period, significant precipitation is not forecast and the conditions will be suitable for carrying out seasonal agrotechnical activities – deep ploughing and pre-sowing soil tillage, and completing the sowing of winter cereal crops. The conditions will allow the implementation of phytosanitary measures in perennial plantations and treatment of affected fruit trees against scab, white rust, leaf curl, etc. The period is suitable for planting young fruit trees.

In the second half of November, the forecast average daily temperatures, around and above the norm, will maintain active vegetative processes in the autumn crops. At the end of November, in wheat, depending on the sowing dates, different phases will be observed. The germination phase and initial leaf formation will occur in crops sown in November. The third leaf phase will prevail in crops sown in the third ten-day period of October. In the few winter cereal crops sown at the beginning of autumn, in places in the Danubian Plain (agrometeorological stations Novachene, Pavlikeni), the tillering phase will be observed.

In November, the forecast precipitation, around and above the norm, will increase the autumn moisture reserves in the deeper soil layers as well. At the end of October, in most of the field areas, soil moisture reserves in the 50cm and 100cm layers were at levels above 85-90% of field capacity.

During the month, suitable conditions for planting fruit trees and carrying out phytosanitary activities in orchards will occur at the beginning and during most days of the second half of November.

Source: NIMH