«Agrocultura Mostyska»- one of the largest agricultural companies in Lviv region. Its land fund – about 15,000 hectares. Today, the company successfully grows soybeans. However, there were preceded by several failed attempts. The сompany couldn’t manage to achieve the desired result of yield for a long time. The cost of production was high. In 2015, «Agrocultura Mostyska» decided to try growing soybeans in their fields for the last time. But they used modern scientific technology for that. The result was the convincing argument in favor of continuing to produce soybeans in the future.
Soy – highly profitable culture. Over the last 5 years, its export was almost doubled, and the area of fields planted with soybeans, increased in 20. «Agrocultura Mostyska» is one of the producers, whiсh successfully grown soybeans now. But although two years ago, the company’s management thought about stopping its cultivation.
The field expertise showed the reasons of low yields
«We have tried to set up production of soybean in western Ukraine for a long time. But all efforts were unsuccessful, – said Volodymyr Bubnov, «Agrocultura Mostyska». Finally, we decided to give the «last chance» to soy production – and we won! The company «AgriLab» helped us to achieve this goal. «AgriLab» conducted the field expertise. Our experts have been often abroad, where have adopted the experience of foreign farmers and have seen approach to farming in Europe and the US. The same approach in Ukraine was offered by company «AgriLab».
First, its experts carried out soil sampling with GPS-linked on 1,000 hectares of the field, which was planned for soybeans growing. After that, the soil samples were analyzed in the laboratory «Ward» in USA. The analysis showed that the problem – in soil pH. Optimum pH of soil acidity for soybeans – 6,2-8. Aсid soil, salinity soil or waterlogged soils are unfitted for soybeans.
After that was done the interpretation of the agrochemical analysis and mapping of the agrochemical soil properties. It became clear which areas of the field are more appropriate for soybeans growing. Also, «Agrocultura Mostyska» received recommendations as for complex fertilizer’s formula.
Fertilizers formula
«Money down the drain» – that can be said about fertilization without knowledge about the actual nutrition elements content and their availability in soils. If the optimal ratio of elements is interfered, the culture cannot use them efficiently.
For example, phosphorus can react with other soil minerals such as iron oxides and carbonates beyond a narrow window of pH 5.5 to 8.5 pH. This can «lock up» phosphorus and make it unavailable to plants. Soil analysis is the key for optimization of cultivation technology and avoiding extra spending of resources (fertilizers, seeds, crop protection).
«Previously, we spent about €/ha 98 on soybean fertilization. After field expertise, became obviously, that we need to correct the nutrient ratio according to recommendations. So, we saved €/ha 14, – said Volodymyr Bubnov. We got the optimal formula of compound fertilizers, specifically for our field, which allowed to significantly save resources. The profitability of production increased on 3%, but the more important factor is that we excluded fields with low pH after a comprehensive field expertise. Eventually, we were pleasantly surprised by our harvest at the end of the project. So, now we will continue to produce soybeans on our fields».
А unique service on the Ukrainian market
The field expertise by «AgriLab» is a unique service in Ukraine. The bottom line is the fields potential estimation for different indicators, besides the usual agrochemical soil analysis. It takes into account the climatic conditions of the terrain (rainfall, temperature) for the last 10 years, soil conditions (natural and effective soil fertility), fields history as for nutrient system and productivity, the actual soil analysis and economic efficiency. The algorithm of expertise takes into account not only the presence of certain factors, but also their correlations.
As a result, producers receive the detailed objective assessment of the fields potential and recommendations as for fertilizers form and timing.
«The complex field expertise has no analogues in Ukraine – said Iaroslav Boiko, CEO of AgriLab. This product consists of several stages. The first is soil samples taking. We use our own, adapted to the realities, samplers that allow you to select soil samples quickly and properly. All this happens in the on-line at the portal, each sample is tied to the coordinates and it has a bar-code marking. After that – data processing in our really unique Agro software, which analyzes the different factors and data fields. We determine the field potential and the critical factors for different cultures growing and develop the detailed recommendations for fertilization. In the same time, we do mapping, which allows not only to see how the nutrition elements divided in the field, but also indicates where the problem areas are. These indicators help to avoid the inefficient using of resources the crop losses. Practically, our company offers to farmers the complete solution, a tool that allows you to manage of the crop. Field expertise allows farmers to save about 27% of resources».
Modern technologies and scientific approach to agriculture allow you to receive maximum yields under optimal costs. But you have to know the potential of each field and use it in right way.
