BULGARIA, ROMANIA GRAIN CROP SEEN LESS FAVORABLE
  Current prospects for this year's
  grain crop in Bulgaria and Romania appear less favorable than
  in 1986, the U.S. Agriculture Department's officer in Belgrade
  said in a field report.
      The report said the assessment was based on travel in the
  two countries from March 30 to April 4.
      It said crop conditions were better than earlier expected
  following the extreme dry conditions last fall and the
  prolonged winter temperatures this spring.
      However, in general plant development was at least three
  weeks or more behind normal this spring, and conditions varied
  greatly by regions, the report said.
      Fields seeded during the optimum period last fall, and
  especially those receiving supplemental irrigation water (about
  65 pct of the fields observed), appeared to be in good
  condition, with little evidence of winterkill, while others
  varied considerably, the report said.
      Fields lacking adequate moisture last fall showed weak and
  uneven stands. Spotty germination and winterkill in those
  fields averaged 10 to 30 pct, it said.
  

