IN GENERAL ABOUT

PHENOLOGY

• Phenology is a science that studies legalities of periodical phases in the development of plants and animals and their dependence on environmental factors.

Phenology of plants

• monitors the development of plants from the beginning to the end of vegetation period and represents the basis of studying the impact of weather and climate on the plant development.

• Phenological observations on the territory of Republic of Macedonia have been organized and performed within the Hydrometeorological Service since 1950 until now.

• Phenological observations are performed of determined phenological subjects according to the World Meteorological Organization’s programme.

• There are 23 phenological stations in the Republic of Macedonia: Berovci, Bogomila, Valandovo, veles, Ginovci, Gostivar, Gevgelija, Delchevo, Star Dojran, Draslajca, Dolno Lisiche, Kochani, Kratovo, Krushevo, Demir kapija, Negotino, Radovish, Sopotsko, tetovo, Trstenik, Skopje-Gjorche petrov, Makedonski Brod and Porodin.

Phenological observations.

• In the programme of phenological observations the following types of plants are included: wild herbaceous plants, forest trees and bushes, legume plants, meadow grass, agricultural crops, fruit trees, grape crops, bees, common agricultural matters.
  Some diseases are also recorded as well as pests attacking cultivated plants and treatment (Application of plant protective agents).

• The wild plants included: wild herbaceous plants, forest trees and bushes and grass. Wild plants are included in the observational programme because they are regular phenological indicators of weather and climate. They grow free in the nature and the man does not impact on their development.

• Type and arrangement of plants with their presence indicate to some macroclimate characteristics on the area especially in its heat regime. However there are local, microclimate changes in the area. Meteorological station network could not be so dense in order to record all microchanges on one wider area. However it could be concluded for some plants whose hastening and stopping in development depend on favorable or unfavorable location. Because the plants are very sensitive instruments, they react fast to all weather changes so they indirectly indicate on weather conditions in some season or year.

• The application of phenological data of wild plants is great. They are used for studying various relations of the time of appearance of phenological phases and their order (phenological seasons, calendar of nature), as well as pheno-indicators for the time when some phases of plants or some agricultural works appear. For example the time of beech leafing coincides with the time of early potato planting, lilac blooming with apple blooming, elder blooming with corn earing, common blooming of dandelion with first appearance of Colorado beetle etc.

Phenological observations

• The group of cultivated plants includes agricultural cultures, feed crop, fruit trees, grape crop.
  First of all, phenological phases at cultivated plants are observed because of investigating the relations and necessities of these plants toward the climate of air and soil. Final objective of these investigations and agro-climatological classification of agricultural crops on the territory of our country.

• Average yield in kilograms for some culture and cultivar species of observed field is recorded beside the phenological phases at the agricultural crops. Yield as a permanent result of the impact of all environmental factors upon the culture development from the sowing to the harvest is one of the most important data. At the fruit trees beside the average yield of observed tree in kilograms and place (by mark from 1 to 5) every year the age of the tree is written, because the crop quantity depends on the fruit tree age.

• At grape crop beside the indicated columns the form includes the columns that refer to the percentage of sugar in must and permilages of acid in the must . These data are added only at those stations where measurements are performed. beside that it should be written the year of observed grape crop growing, and the way of growing is added in the column.

• The observing programme includes bees from the zoophenological subjects. Bees, that is phenological observations on the activities of bees’ group, are not indicated only for apiculture, but also for other branches of agriculture. Beside that they indicate to the weather conditions which existed in the close surrounding of the observing location.
  At the end of the report the time of performing the most important agricultural works in wider surrounding is recorded, and the performing is in close relation with weather conditions.

Phenological

Subjects

• Wild woodland plant
  SNOWDROP (Galanthus nivalis)
  DANDELION (Taraxacum officinale)
  COLTS-FOOT (Tussilago farfara )
  OX-EYE (Crysanthemum leucantheum)
  SAFFRON (Crocus vernus)
  MEADOW SAFFRON (Colchicum autumnale)

• Forest trees and bushes
  CHESTNUT(Aesculus hippocastanum) ACACIA (LOCUST) (Robinia seudoacacia) LARGE LEAVED LIME (Tilia grandifolia) SMALL LEAVED LIME (Tilia parvifolia) BLACK POLAR (Populus nigra) ASPEN (Populus tremula) OAK TREE (Quercus cerris) OAK TREE (Quercus sessilis) OAK TREE (Quercus pubescens) BIRCH (Betula verrucosa) ALDER ( Alnus glutinosa ) ASH (Fraxinus excalsior) BEECH (Fagus silvatica) SALLOW ( Salix caprea) PINE (Pinus silvestris) PINE ( Pinus nigra) COMMON SPRUCE (Picea excelsa) FIR (Abies alba) LILAC (Syringa vulgaris) ELDER ( Sambucus nigra) DOG-ROSE(Rosa canina) EVERGREEN THORN(Crataegus monogyna) BLACKTHORN (Prunus spinosa) HAZEL NUT(Corylus avellana) CORNEL (Cornus mas) ELM ( Calluna vulgaris) ROSEMARY (Rosmarinus officinalis) LAUREL(Laurus nobilis)



• Legume plants and meadow grass
  MEADOW CLOVER (Trifolium pratense) COCKFOOT (Dactylis glomerata) ALFALFA (Medicago sativa) TIMOTHY GRASS (Phleum pratense) BIRDSFOOT TREFOIL (Lotus corniculatus) MEADOW-GRASS (Poa pratensis)

Phenological

Subjects continuation

• Agriculture crops
  WHEAT (Triticum vulgare) AUTUMN BARLEY (Hordeum sativum) RYE (Secale cereale) SPRING BARLEY(Hordeum sativum) OAT (Avena sativa) MAIZE (Zea Mays) POTATO (Solanum tuberosum) SUGAR BEET (Beta vulgaris sach) SUNFLOWER (Helianthus annuus) TOBACCO (Nicotiana tabacum) COTTON (Gossypium herbaceum) SOYBEEN (Glycine hispida)



• Fruit trees and grape crop
  APPLE (Pirus malus) PEAR (Pirus communis) PLUM (Prunus domestica) CHERRY (Prunus avium) HAGBERRY (Prunus cerasus) APRICOT (Prunus armeniaca) PEACH (Prunus persica) ALMOND (Amygdalis communis) WALNUT (Juglans regia) RED CURRANT BUSH (Ribes rubrum) BLACK CURRANT BUSH (Ribes nigrum) BLACK BERRY (Rubus ssp.) RASPBERRY (Rubus ssp) BALAUSTINE (Punica granatum) FIG TREE (Ficus carica) ACTINIDIA (Actinidia colomikta) JAPANESE PERSIMMON (Diospyrus kaki) OLIVE TREE (Olea europea) GRAPE CROP (Vitis vinifera)