The sowing campaign is underway at the demonstration site of the
Profitable Field project in Velyka Oleksandrivka,
Kyiv Region. As part of the project, AgriLab and its partners are
implementing a range of agricultural solutions to study and demonstrate
the effectiveness of technologies capable of ensuring stable profitability
for farmers, taking into account the challenges of the crisis and the
specific conditions of the region.
“This is not simply a field — it is an experimental platform where we
test innovations, model production scenarios, and compare the effectiveness
of agricultural technologies,” comments Yaroslav Boyko,
CEO of AgriLab. “This season, crops are being sown using
precision and regenerative farming tools: field zoning, variable seeding
rates, variable-rate crop nutrition, carbon retention and accumulation,
and precise selection of macro- and micronutrients according to
agrochemical analysis and crop requirements. Our goal is to demonstrate
how resource-efficient technologies affect yields, economic efficiency,
and farm sustainability. And most importantly, to provide farmers with
clear metrics and examples showing how these results can be achieved.”
Field preparation within the
“Profitable Field”
project began in early spring with testing different solutions for
effective management of crop residues.
On one of the demonstration plots, a Volta 6000 tine harrow from
Technopol was used together with UAN-32 application to accelerate
the mineralization of crop residues. On another plot, solutions from
BEDNAR were tested, including the DURACUT TE 12400 roller-mulcher
and the MULCHER MZ rotary mulcher. The main objective was to achieve
uniform shredding and mulching of organic matter and subsequently
distribute it evenly across the field.
Immediately before sowing, strip-till technology was implemented on
selected plots. A BEDNAR STRIP-MASTER cultivator was used to form
strips 25 cm deep, with a maximum working depth of up to 35 cm.
Fertilizer was simultaneously applied at a depth of 20 cm according
to an individual prescription developed on the basis of AgriLab’s
soil agrochemical analysis in partnership with ICL and Agromix.
ICL is testing products featuring innovative nutrient-release control
technologies. These include Agromaster 43:0:0(5), based on the patented
E-Max Release technology. The trials also include the balanced
phosphorus-potassium fertilizer ICL PKpluS 24:24 with micronutrients,
as well as the specialized foliar fertilizer Agroleaf Power High K,
featuring technologies designed to improve fertilizer uptake and
stimulate plant growth.
Agromix Trading House is testing mineral fertilizers adapted to the
results of soil agrochemical analysis. Its formulation consists of
two granules — highly effective potassium with sulfur and magnesium,
and available phosphorus with other elements — providing improved
solubility and nutrient uptake even under conditions of insufficient
moisture.
After soil preparation in both treatments — following both the tine
harrow and Strip-till — corn was sown using a row-crop planter with
70 cm row spacing. The seed was supplied by Limagrain Ukraine.
The main hybrid was LG 31305 (FAO 290), with a seeding rate of
62,000 seeds/ha. A range of hybrids with different FAO ratings was
also included for comparison in order to identify the most effective
solutions for the specific conditions of the region.
“We work according to an individual prescription for each specific
field. The Profitable Field project is not simply
about profitability as a fact, but about understanding how it can
be achieved. And first and foremost, that means effective technologies.
That is why we are researching different practical solutions:
soil cultivation methods, quality seed, fertilizers, and application
methods. And, of course, we are implementing elements of precision
farming and digitalization,”
— Yaroslav Boyko, CEO of AgriLab.
According to Maksym Chykunov, BEDNAR Marketing Manager in Ukraine,
the company’s main goal in participating in the
Profitable Field project is to help farmers see the
objective economic efficiency of different technologies.
“Our mission in participating in this project is to create additional
value for Ukrainian farmers by researching different technologies
for soil cultivation, seeding, and crop nutrition, and by providing
an evidence-based assessment of the economic efficiency of these
technologies. We are confident that this data will help our farmers
make informed decisions. Our company is involved in field research
not only in Kyiv Region, but also in Poltava, Vinnytsia, and Odesa
Regions. As part of the project, we are studying corn and sunflower
seeding using Strip-till technology. We are also researching different
soybean seeding technologies, including conventional, minimum-till,
and Strip-till systems, as well as direct seeding into the previous
crop’s stubble,”
— Maksym Chykunov, BEDNAR Marketing Manager in Ukraine.
