The above-normal temperatures during the past period, with maximum values exceeding 16-17°C in many parts of the country, disrupted the dormancy of the autumn-sown crops and provoked premature development in some early-flowering fruit species (almond, apricot, peach) in parts of the Danube Plain (Pavlikeni agrometeorological station) and in the southern regions (Petrich, Sandanski).

During the first half of the next seven-day period, the agrometeorological conditions will again be determined by temperatures that are high for the season, which will resume and intensify the vegetation processes in the winter cereal crops and the perennial plantations. At the beginning of the third ten-day period of February, the third leaf growth stage will predominate in wheat. A smaller share of the stands are in the tillering stage.

In the last days of the period, a substantial decrease in temperatures is forecast, but without critical minimum values for agricultural crops. In the field areas, at the end of the period, the mean daily temperatures will be close to the biological minimum required for the vegetation of the winter cereal crops.

Which major diseases are controlled by winter spraying in the orchard

During the period, bud swelling will be observed in the stone fruit species. The interval between the stages of bud swelling and bud burst is a period during which preventive spraying of fruit trees with copper-containing fungicides should not be omitted. These treatments are of exceptional importance for reducing infections from overwintering pathogens: blossom blight (early brown rot), peach leaf curl, shot hole disease (cherry, apricot, plum), etc. More suitable conditions for conducting plant protection spraying in orchards, for nitrogen mineral fertilization of winter crops, and for pre-sowing tillage of areas intended for the sowing of early spring crops will occur at the beginning of the period.

Source NIMH