At the beginning of May – conditions for frost formation in the high fields and basins

The widespread precipitation that fell during the second half of April maintained good levels of soil moisture reserves for agricultural crops in the 50 cm soil layer, between 80–90% of the field capacity (FC).

During the next seven-day period, agrometeorological conditions will continue to be determined by unstable weather. Vegetation processes in agricultural crops will proceed at a moderate pace under mean daily temperatures close to and below the climatic norms for the end of April and the beginning of May. Winter wheat will be predominantly in the stem elongation growth stage. Oilseed rape will continue its flowering stage. In maize and sunflower, emergence and the beginning of leaf formation will be observed. In fruit tree species, flowering, leafing and fruit set formation will take place. In grapevine, the development of 1–3 leaves will be observed.

The unstable weather during the period, with frequent showers, will hinder the performance of pre-sowing soil tillage and sowing of the later spring crops, as well as the implementation of plant protection spraying. After the cessation of precipitation, preventive treatments are recommended against downy mildew and excoriose in grapevine, scab in pome fruit species, blossom blight (early brown rot) and shot-hole disease in stone fruits, and against peach leaf curl.

At the beginning of the period, in the higher fields and basins, conditions will occur for the formation of ground frost and for damage to agricultural crops.

Source: NIMH