Soil drought expected in some agricultural areas of Moldavia, Muntenia and Transylvania

Moderate and severe soil drought is expected to persist in some agricultural areas of Moldavia, Muntenia and Transylvania, according to the forecast issued by the National Meteorological Administration (ANM) for the period 5 - 11 January 2024. "The moisture reserve on the soil depth 0-100 cm, in autumn wheat cultivation, will present satisfactory values, close to optimal and optimal, in Maramures, Banat, Crisana, Oltenia and Dobrogea, most of Transylvania and Muntenia, locally in the east, centre, west, south and southeast of Moldavia. Soil water content will be low and particularly low, with moderate and strong soil drought, locally in the north, south and east of Moldavia, north and central Muntenia, isolatedly in southern Transylvania," ANM specialists said.Against the background of lower minimum air and soil temperatures in the last days of the interval, the growth and development rates of rapeseed, barley and winter wheat crops will be slower in all agricultural regions, as the plants gradually enter a state of biological rest. Crop uniformity and vigour will also be good and average, respectively average and poor in late sowings, and plants will show partially yellow foliage.According to the ANM, barley and winter wheat planted at the optimum time will undergo leaf growth and leaf out (10-100%), while late sown crops will be dominated by leaf growth and third leaf growth (40-100%). Rape sown at the optimum time will continue to leaf out, with plants averaging 5-9 leaves. In most plantations, fruit trees and vines will be in the dormant stage.On rainy days, seasonal agricultural work will be difficult or temporarily interrupted.Thermally, the warmer weather at the beginning of the period will enter a process of marked cooling, nationwide. Average daytime air temperatures will range from -4 to 13 degrees Celsius in the first days, with positive temperature deviations of 1 to 11 degrees Celsius and -9 to 3 degrees Celsius towards the end of the period, 1 to 3 degrees below climatological averages in almost all growing areas.The maximum air temperature will be between -6 and 17 degrees Celsius across the agricultural area, and the minimum will be between -12 and 10 degrees Celsius in most regions, with conditions for fog and ground frost."Precipitation is forecast in the form of local rain, but also mixed (rain, sleet and snow), accompanied by short-lived intensification of wind in most parts of the country, and fog will occur locally, associated with drizzle," the ANM specialists said.