Bulgaria: Higher risk of frostbite in autumn due to delayed development

The development and condition of autumn crops in Bulgaria this year has been very heterogeneous. Rain (or lack of it) was the main reason for this. We had very dry autumn months, especially in the North Central region and in Southern Bulgaria. In places this has slowed down field work and affected crop emergence. The development of winter wheat and barley crops ranges from emergence and 1st leaf to 3rd leaf and tillering. It is known that crops are more adapted to overwintering in the 3rd leaf and tillering phase, so the risk of frost is higher in most parts of the country, where crops still need time to grow and develop. The only exception to this is the northeastern region (one of the main wheat producing regions), where significant rains fell in November and the crops had time to develop to the 3rd leaf and tillering phase, so the winter cereals there are in much better shape for wintering. By the end of the week, the weather will remain mild, without significant drops in ...