At the beginning of March, rainfall and snowfall will increase the level of soil moisture reserves

The low minimum temperatures recorded during the past seven-day period, in places in Northwestern Bulgaria and in the high valley fields down to and below minus 13-14°C in Vidin, Kneja, Dragoman and Kazanlak, put to the test the cold resistance of the underdeveloped autumn crops in conditions without snow cover. Values of this order, when retained for a longer period, are critical for the overwintering winter cereal crops at the 2-3 leaf stage.

In the northwestern regions, field inspections of the crops at the agrometeorological stations Băzovec, Kneja, Kyustendil and Kazanlak are forthcoming for possible frost damage.

The extremely low temperatures during the last week of February had a devastating effect on the orchards in the Ruse–Silistra region. In some places temperatures dropped to minus 24 degrees, as a result of which a large proportion of the fruit buds of apricots have frozen, shares Nikolay Kolev – Chairman of the Union of Danube Fruit Growers – Ruse. Frost damage is also observed in cherry, peach, plum, apple and pear.

At the end of February and the beginning of March, temperatures will be below the climatic norms, which will maintain the state of dormancy in the autumn-sown crops. The forecast minimum values are above the critical thresholds for the overwintering agricultural crops.

The expected rainfall of rain and snow will increase the level of soil moisture reserves in the 50 cm soil layer. As a result of below-normal precipitation in January and the first half of February, soil moisture reserves in the 100 cm layer in most of the country are unsatisfactory for this period of the year. An increased probability of snow cover formation and improvement of the overwintering conditions for the autumn-sown crops is forecast at the end of next week.

Source: NIMH