At the Poltava-Sad farm, AgriLab held the large-scale Agro Forsazh 2.0 agricultural event as part of the Profitable Field (PFT Field) project.

PFT Field (Profitable Field) is an innovative platform built around some of Ukraine’s most progressive farms. Its goal is to demonstrate modern agricultural technologies and solutions that can improve the efficiency and profitability of crop production. All trials are carried out in partnership with leading companies in agricultural machinery, crop nutrition and precision farming technologies.

A large-scale 20-hectare experiment was established to study corn production technologies under different tillage and fertilization systems. The trial examines how these factors affect moisture conservation, yield and the economic efficiency of different production systems.

The trials assess the effectiveness of granular fertilizers, liquid starter fertilizers and nitrogen fertilizers under different tillage systems. The soil type is shallow, low-humus, leached chernozem.

The background hybrid across all treatments is LG 31305 (FAO 290), planted at a density of 60,000 plants/ha. More than 60 trial treatments have been established, allowing for an objective comparison of different corn nutrition programs.

The crop nutrition partners are Ukrainian Agro-Industrial Group, UTK KhimAlians, Elicit Plant, Imisk Ukraine, Agromix and ICL. Details of each company’s trials are provided below.

How was the crop nutrition technology tested?

During planting, the farm’s equipment applied liquid fertilizers — UAN and liquid complex fertilizers (LCF). The application date was June 2–4, 2025. Dry granular fertilizers were applied during strip formation using a STRIP-MASTER unit from BEDNAR on May 16, 2025. Additional dry granular fertilizer was applied during seeding with a BEDNAR seeder. Foliar applications of products from Imisk, Hekagro and ELICIT PLANT were carried out on July 18, 2025.

Ukrainian Agro-Industrial Group

The project’s general partner and a producer of granular and liquid compound fertilizers. Its products are represented across all four tillage systems. The same crop nutrition trials were established under each tillage system, with eight treatments per system, allowing for a detailed comparison of their effectiveness.

“At the Poltava-Sad site, we are testing two UAN + ATS formulations — 90+10 and 80+20. We are studying the effectiveness of ammonium thiosulfate in extending nitrogen and sulfur nutrition, which is particularly relevant under both drought and excessive soil moisture. The effect is clear: with the 80+20 formulation, the stems and leaves remain green for longer. Both formulations also produce better-developed ears.

We are also testing combinations of UAN + ATS (90+10 and 80+20) with the starter Mixture-LCF 6-24-6 containing chelated Zn, Mn and Cu. This makes it possible to optimize crop nutrition and provide phosphorus and micronutrients at the early stages, helping to develop more resilient plants. Adding LCF to the nutrition program shortens the crop maturation period while optimizing ear development.

We are also studying the effectiveness of nitrate-form zinc in UAN. This makes it possible to supply the crop with this important micronutrient through the 3–4 leaf stage, when plants are determining their future yield potential. Preliminary results show ears with more rows, more kernels per row and better-filled kernels,” said Nadiia Bordiuza of the Ukrainian Agro-Industrial Group.

Agromix

A producer of compound mineral fertilizers and blended NPK fertilizers. For the trial, dry granular fertilizers were applied with BEDNAR equipment on the treatments using strip-till technology.

Specifically: AGROMIX 9:24:24, 100 kg/ha + UAN-32, 100 L/ha.

Dry granular fertilizers offer several advantages: they provide uniform nutrient distribution in the soil, longer-lasting effects due to gradual dissolution, and convenient transportation, storage and application. Granular formulations also allow for more precise nutrient dosing and can be effectively integrated with variable-rate application technologies — particularly important for resource-efficient farming.

Volodymyr Makhota in a corn field

ICL Growing Solutions

Specialized granular fertilizers from ICL Growing Solutions were also applied under the strip-till system as part of the ClockWork concept. ICL is an Israeli company with a global reputation and 100 years of experience in fertilizer production, offering a broad portfolio of crop nutrition products for all stages of plant development.

ICL Growing Solutions applied individual products separately to determine the effectiveness of each element of the technology. The company also proposed a complete, end-to-end fertilization program based on the results of the field’s agrochemical assessment.

“The ClockWork nutrition system is designed to synchronize nutrient availability with crop demand during critical growth and development stages while minimizing unproductive nutrient losses. This is particularly important on light-textured soils and soils with either high or low pH,” noted Volodymyr Zabaluiev, Head of Agronomic Support at ICL Ukraine.

• Nitrogen in AGROMASTER is polymer-coated, providing controlled nitrogen nutrition for up to two months without losses.
• POLYSULPHATE GRANULAR, with a high sulfur content that is not readily leached, as well as potassium, magnesium and calcium, improves the efficiency of nitrogen nutrition and supports vigorous crop development.
• ICL PKPLUS 24-24 (+15CaO+7SO3)+0.1Zn+0.1B+0.1Mn is a nutrient blend rich in micronutrients and secondary nutrients, providing a complete nutritional package.

The following products were used:

• Control (UAN-32, 100 L/ha + LCF, 30 L/ha)
• AGROMASTER N43%(+5SO3) — 125 kg/ha
• POLYSULPHATE GRANULAR — 100 kg/ha
• AGROMASTER N43%(+5SO3) — 125 kg/ha + POLYSULPHATE GRANULAR — 100 kg/ha
• ICL PKPLUS 24-24 (+15CaO+7SO3)+0.1Zn+0.1B+0.1Mn — 100 kg/ha

UTK KhimAlians

Ukraine’s only national producer of liquid fertilizers manufactured using acid synthesis technology. Product quality is confirmed by a European certificate of conformity.

UTK KhimAlians UAN-32 and LCF NP 8:24 have a high nutrient uptake coefficient thanks to their balanced formulation and high purity. They provide balanced crop nutrition throughout the growing season.

For the conditions of Poltava Region, where rainfall is often unpredictable and temperatures fluctuate, these products are particularly effective thanks to:

1. Three forms of nitrogen in UAN-32 — amide, nitrate and ammonium — providing extended nutrition throughout all critical stages of crop development.
2. The high phosphorus concentration in LCF NP 8:24, which supports root development, the formation of reproductive organs and improved nitrogen uptake.
3. The liquid formulation, which ensures uniform distribution, does not intensify soil moisture deficits, provides a synergistic effect and is compatible with other nutrients.
4. The adaptability of the technology — application programs can be precisely adjusted to the conditions of a specific field and crop.

The application programs used in the project were:

🌽 Corn (4 plots):

– UAN-32 — 100 L/ha

– LCF NP 8:24 — 30 L/ha

“Our approach is focused on combining efficiency, precision and consistency of results. We expect the trial results to demonstrate the optimal balance between yield and the economic feasibility of using our fertilizers under the regional conditions of Poltava Region,” said Serhii Biesiedin, Regional Director at UTK KhimAlians.

ELICIT PLANT

A company developing solutions to address water stress in large-scale crops. Its products improve physiological resilience through natural plant processes, reducing water consumption by up to 20%, limiting water stress and helping achieve significant yield increases.

The corn trial included a baseline treatment (UAN-32, 100 L/ha + LCF, 30 L/ha)

Baseline treatment (UAN-32, 100 L/ha + LCF, 30 L/ha) + BEST-A, 1 L/ha

BEST-A is an innovative Elicit Plant product designed to combat water stress and support yield under water-limited conditions. Its objective is to reduce crop water requirements while maintaining corn productivity.

Imisk Ukraine, Hekagro

IMISK Group and Xekagro Solutions are exclusive suppliers to the Ukrainian market of innovative crop nutrition and soil conditioning solutions patented and owned by leading US companies DPH Biologicals, Actagro and Innovak Global. IMISK products form part of regenerative and carbon farming technologies.

The best economic and yield results in corn were achieved with a starter application of organo-mineral complexes from ACTAGRO, USA: STRUCTURE 7-21-0+ME, 30 L/ha + UAN-32, 100 L/ha.

“ACTAGRO’s Reacted Carbon Technology™ (RCT) completely changes the way we think about the availability and mobility of phosphorus fertilizers in soil. Phosphorus availability in the soil solution depends on soil pH, the concentration of Ca, Fe and Al cations, as well as the concentrations of competing inorganic and organic ligands, including carboxylate anions. In soils with high pH, it takes only a few days for available phosphorus from fertilizers to become fixed and unavailable to plants.

We also applied the Katalyst Plus nutrient activator at a rate of 2 L/ha. It provides 100% plant-available, fast-acting K₂O in the form of potassium acetate and can increase plant-available potassium in the soil by up to 10 kg per litre of product by releasing potassium from less accessible forms,” explained Andrii Ishchuk, Project Manager at IMISK Ukraine.

Nutri-Cal provides a source of readily available and highly mobile calcium within the plant. Nutri-Cal can be applied together with other fertilizers and pesticides even at high temperatures (+30°C). In terms of calcium uptake efficiency, 1 litre of Nutri-Cal is equivalent to 4 kg of calcium chloride. The fertilizer improves disease resistance, helps plants recover after stress and supports strong cell-wall structure. It also contributes significantly to crop maturation and increases dry matter content.

The starter and regulatory application technology proposed by IMISK Ukraine, based on ACTAGRO’s Reacted Carbon Technology™ (RCT), resulted in improved quality parameters and higher corn yields compared with Poltava-Sad’s baseline technology. A significant proportion of plants also showed an increase from 16 to 18 rows per ear, as well as a 10% increase in the number of kernels per row.

The full report will be published on the Profitable Field portal, and the results will be discussed in detail at the end-of-season conference.

We thank all the partners who joined the project, are committed to innovation and strive to deliver value to farmers under specific regional and climatic conditions.