Month of March never ceases to surprise us

The winter weather events at the beginning of March, at the end of the second and the beginning of the third ten-day period, caused to a large extent frost damage to the stone fruit species (almond, peach, apricot, cherry) that had entered the flower bud and flowering stages in parts of the eastern and southern regions of the country. The precipitation and snowmelt during the following period will keep the upper soil layers waterlogged and the conditions unsuitable for carrying out the seasonal agrotechnical activities. For these reasons, sunflower sowing in Southern Bulgaria will be carried out with a delay and beyond the agrotechnical deadlines.

The last days of March will be characterized by weather that is cold for the season. In many parts of the country, snowfall, negative minimum temperatures and additional frost damage to fruit crops advanced in their development are forecast. The winter weather events at the beginning of March, at the end of the second and the beginning of the third ten-day period, caused to a large extent frost damage to the stone fruit species (almond, peach, apricot, cherry) that had entered the flower bud and flowering stages in parts of the eastern and southern regions of the country.

During the second half of the period, a significant increase in temperatures and a change in agrometeorological conditions are expected. In the last days of March, the forecast values of the mean daily temperatures in most of the field areas will reach and exceed the biological minimum required for the resumption and activation of the vegetation processes in the autumn-sown crops.

At the end of the month, the tillering stage will prevail in the winter cereals. Exceptions will be observed in individual locations in the Upper Thracian Lowland (Pazardzhik, Plovdiv), where wheat and barley entered the beginning of the stem elongation stage during the second ten-day period of March, earlier than the usual dates.

The precipitation and snowmelt during the following period will keep the upper soil layers waterlogged and the conditions unsuitable for carrying out the seasonal agrotechnical activities. For these reasons, sunflower sowing in Southern Bulgaria will be carried out with a delay and beyond the agrotechnical deadlines.

Source: NIMH