February – agrometeorological conditions will maintain the overwintering agricultural crops in dormancy

After the expected brief cold spell at the beginning of February, during most days of the first and the beginning of the second ten-day period, the agrometeorological conditions will be determined by temperatures above the climatic norms, but below the biological minimum required for the resumption of vegetative processes in winter cereal crops.

The forecast temperatures during the second half of February in most parts of the country will be close to the usual values for the period and will maintain overwintering agricultural crops in dormancy. Exceptions will be observed in places in the southern and southeastern regions, where during the third ten-day period conditions will be created for weakly expressed vegetation in wheat and barley, but this will not lead to a change in the phenological stage of the crops.

During the month, in the field areas, the formation of a lasting, protective snow cover for the autumn-sown crops is not expected. In conditions without snow cover, the forecast minimum temperatures, down to minus 13 – 14°C, if they persist for a longer period, will again pose a risk of winterkill for late-sown winter cereal crops in the emergence and 1st–3rd leaf stages (agrometeorological stations: Bazovets, Kneja, Nikolaevo, Kyustendil, Haskovo, Sliven, Chirpan). These values are above the critical ones for crops overwintering in the tillering stage.

The expected precipitation in February, around and below the norm, will increase the soil moisture reserves in the one-meter and two-meter soil layers. In January, in most parts of the country, the soil moisture reserves in the one-meter layer, measured in winter cereal crops, were above 90% of field capacity. Exceptions were observed in certain locations in the eastern and southern regions (agrometeorological stations: Razgrad, Tsarev Brod, Dolni Chiflik, Haskovo, Chirpan, Sliven), where the levels of soil moisture reserves were lower – below 80% of field capacity.

During the month, more favorable conditions for pruning in vineyards and orchards will occur in the middle of the first, the beginning of the second, and during the third ten-day period. In the third ten-day period, an improvement is expected in

the conditions for top-dressing autumn-sown crops with nitrogen mineral fertilizers, and for carrying out pre-sowing tillage of the areas designated for sowing with early spring crops (peas, vetch, oats, spring barley).

Source: NIMH