At the end of July and the beginning of August – the development of agricultural crops will proceed at temperatures close to climatic norms and under a deficit of soil moisture

The hot weather during most days of the third ten-day period of July, with extremely high maximum temperatures up to and above 40-42°C, disrupted the normal course of vegetation processes in agricultural crops. These values caused heat stress and leaf scorching in part of the late spring crops, and premature leaf fall in fruit trees. (At the agrometeorological station in Silistra premature yellowing of leaves is observed in 50% of the maize stands grown under non-irrigated conditions).

After the brief but significant cooling at the end of the past seven-day period, during the last days of July and the beginning of August the development of agricultural crops will proceed at temperatures close to the climatic norms and under conditions of soil moisture deficit. The rainfall at the end of July was local in character and in most parts of the country, with the exception of certain locations in the northwestern (N. Selo, Lom, Knezha, Pleven) and southeastern regions (Sliven, Karnobat, Burgas), was insignificant, below 10 l/m². During the following period, rainfall of agronomic significance is not forecast, and the application of an appropriate irrigation regime remains a priority measure for late agricultural crops. At the beginning of August, early maize hybrids will enter the dough stage, in medium-early hybrids the milk stage will be observed, and in later maize hybrids grain formation and filling will take place. In sunflower, in parts of the Danube Plain and in the southern regions, the ripening stage will proceed.

At the end of July and the beginning of August, plant protection spraying should be carried out during the cooler hours, using products with a suitable pre-harvest interval, consistent with the ripening period of the crops. In fruit orchards, control of the second generation of fruit moths should not be underestimated. Vegetable crops affected by the hailstorms that occurred at the end of the past period are recommended to be treated with copper-containing fungicides.

Source: NIMH