Farmers in northern Moldova welcome the recent precipitation, saying soil moisture that is so necessary for crops will now increase. It is now important for the weather to grow warmer gradually. The frosts perhaps affected fruit trees, but mostly the early types of fruit and not significantly. Field assessments will be carried out when the weather permits, IPN reports.
Vasile Covali, head of the Edineț Agriculture, Land Relations and Cadaster Division, said that the snow is beneficial to field crops as moisture in soil was necessary indeed. As to orchards, not all the fruit trees have blossomed. Only the apricots and early plums are in blossom, but the areas of these are not so large, of less than 10 ha.
Iulia Jeleznyi, head of the Briceni Agriculture, Land Relations and Cadaster Division, stated that the frosts were more severe on March 28-29. In parts, the temperature declined to -5 degrees Celsius. There is no information about the affected areas yet. The early apricot and cherry trees were probably affected as they were in blossom. The cherry flowers resist at a temperature of -2 degrees Celsius. But pollination could not occur as it is cold and bees do not fly.
The functionary noted that only the carrots and onion have been sowed so far and these haven’t sprouted yet. The wheat and rape are also resistant, while other crops, such as the sunflower, haven’t been sowed.
Valeriu Bogdan, head of the Râșcani Agriculture and Food Division, said that he discussed with many business entities and wasn’t informed about problems caused by the recent precipitation so far. The snow is welcome as the layer of snow protects the crops, like the sugar beet. The warming up should be now gradual and water should enter soil slowly. Fruit growers said the tree flowers in some of the orchards went brown as a result of the frost of the end of March, but the trees were probably not seriously affected. It will be clearer when it grows warmer.
It rained heavily in Moldova the last few days. It snowed in the northern districts and frost was projected for the next few days.
