Agrometeorological forecast for the month of November

On most days of the first ten-day period of November, the agrometeorological conditions will be determined by dry and warm-for-the-season weather. The forecast light precipitation at the end of the ten-day period will be of no economic significance and will not lead to any substantial change in the condition of the upper soil layer. At the end of October, in a large part of the field regions, productive moisture was absent in the 50 cm soil layer, and in places in Southwestern Bulgaria (the agrometeorological stations Kyustendil, Sandanski) – also in the 100 cm layer. The drought during the first half of autumn impeded, in many parts of the country, the implementation of seasonal soil tillage operations and, for this reason, in some of the field regions the agrotechnical deadlines for sowing winter rapeseed, wheat and barley have been missed.  Until mid-November, the deficit of soil moisture will remain a limiting factor for the development of the sown autumn crops. In places in the field regions, the absence of moisture in the upper soil layer will call into question the survival of part of the germinated crops.

During the second half of November, precipitation is forecast and an improvement of the conditions for the progress of the initial stages of vegetation of the winter cereal crops. During this period, crop development will take place at mean daily temperatures close to the climatic norms. At the end of November, the predominant growth stage of wheat and barley will be the third leaf stage. In parts of the Danubian Plain, for a small proportion of the winter cereal crops sown within the agrotechnical deadline (the agrometeorological stations: Băzovec, Novachene, Pavlikeni, Glavinitsa, Silistra), which emerged in October and formed 1–2 leaves, the tillering stage will be observed. The emergence stage will be in progress in the later sown November crops. In rapeseed, leaf formation will be observed. A small proportion of the stands sown at the beginning of autumn will reach the beginning of the rosette stage (5–6 leaves) by the end of November. During the month, the forecast negative minimum temperatures (down to minus -7ºC) are above the critical thresholds for the winter cereal crops that are in the emergence stage.

At the beginning of November, conditions will be suitable for conducting autumn plant protection spraying in orchards. For pome fruit species (apple, pear), a 5% urea solution is recommended for limiting scab infections. For stone fruit species, after mass leaf fall, spraying with a 2% Bordeaux mixture solution must be carried out against bacterial blight, peach leaf curl, shot-hole disease and early brown rot.

In November, more favourable conditions for planting fruit trees will occur during the second and third ten-day periods. Under the country’s climatic conditions, autumn planting of fruit crops is recommended, with the exception of walnut.

Source: NIMH