The autumn crops haven’t been affected by the meteorological conditions this winter. In a response to an inquiry made by IPN News Agency, Marin Grama, senior consultant of the Vegetal Products Policy, Production and Regulation Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment, said the state of autumn crops is now satisfactory.
Most of the fields planted with winter wheat and barley are under snow and the low temperatures of the last few days haven’t posed a threat to the plants. But the weather conditions this winter were rather changing and sometimes stressful for the crops, stated Marin Grama.
According to the senior consultant, the rain that fell last September enabled to prepare the land and plant the winter crops in optimal conditions. The weather in October and November favored the growth and development of these crops. The snow that fell in the middle of December melted swiftly owing to the high temperatures. These contributed to the slight regeneration of vegetation until the first ten days of January.
Marin Grama noted that almost all the winter crop fields were covered with a layer of 30 ‑ 40 cm of snow in the middle of January. The nighttime temperatures of -20oC at the end of January didn’t last long and didn’t affect the crops even if some of the fields weren’t under snow.
The senior consultant said the snow that fell in February protects the winter crops from frost now. The fluctuations in temperatures last winter diminished the resistance level of crops, but the low temperatures of the recent past helped restore this level. The plants will overcome the unfavorable weather conditions in spring, when the vegetation starts to regenerate.
