Why should growing any crop start with soil analysis? Is precision farming really a luxury that only large agricultural holdings can afford? How can a farm increase its profitability and efficiency?
Journalists from the “Pershyi na Seli” program discussed these questions with Serhii Kvitka, co-owner of a farm in Chernihiv Region. He spoke about the effectiveness of the solutions implemented on the farm in cooperation with AgriLab, including comprehensive field agro-diagnostics.
Serhii Kvitka is a mechanical engineer by training. He spent some time working at a higher education institution. Later, he decided to put his knowledge and skills to work in his own business — agriculture. His farming operation began with 200 hectares under cultivation. Today, the farm operates on 800 hectares.
Serhii Kvitka is a mechanical engineer by training. He spent some time working at a higher education institution. Later, he decided to put his knowledge and skills to work in his own business — agriculture. His farming operation began with 200 hectares under cultivation. Today, the farm operates on 800 hectares.
“The main crop we grow is corn. It is the easiest crop for us to grow because our soils are somewhat acidic. From a profitability standpoint, corn is a good choice for us because we can currently achieve yields of up to 10 tonnes per hectare. Since we have our own grain dryer and transportation for delivering the produce, we can make a good return from this crop,” says Serhii Kvitka.
“The decision to grow corn did not come out of nowhere — it was a well-considered step based on soil analysis. The owners made this decision last year and have not regretted it for a moment,” noted Andrii Ledenov, a journalist with the “Pershyi na Seli” program.
Andrii Ledenov and the “Pershyi na Seli” editorial team travel extensively across Ukraine, visiting successful farms and speaking with farmers who are confidently embracing innovation. Yet he had heard many times from farmers that precision farming was expensive or overly complicated. Serhii Kvitka, however, convinced him otherwise.
The first step toward precision farming is accurate soil analysis. It is not an expensive procedure, but it is extremely important for determining the potential of a field and the characteristics of each part of it.
“Until last year, we worked without precision technologies. That year, we conducted soil analysis across 300 hectares, and we saw significant benefits. Crops grown on the analyzed soils developed more uniformly, they had sufficient access to nutrients, and we achieved the results we had planned,” says Serhii Kvitka.
“Previously, all our fields were treated in the same way, yet the results differed dramatically. On two fields just 6 km apart, the yield difference could be as much as 4 tonnes per hectare. Now there is no such gap — and there shouldn’t be one when precision farming is used,” noted Andrii Ledenov.
“I now have the report from the AgriLab laboratory. We contacted them to obtain the soil analysis results. We have nutrient distribution maps that we use in our work, and we can also apply fertilizers at variable rates,” says Serhii Kvitka.
“We apply different fertilizer rates to each field,” confirms Vitalii Chyzh, a farm employee. “There is no longer a situation where the same fertilizer rate is applied across all fields.”
For a start, soil analysis is enough — it costs very little, while in the future it can significantly increase profitability.
“Prices keep rising, and there is no way around the need to improve the efficiency of our soils. We can increase their productivity only when we know their nutrient content. Only then can we balance all the nutrients the soil needs and, as a result, achieve the planned yield,” says Serhii Kvitka.
But is soil analysis really worth doing? Could a farmer simply skip it and save the money? The experience of this farm in Chernihiv Region proves that soil analysis is a worthwhile investment — one that not only paid for itself in the same year, but also generated significant additional income.
“Two years ago, with the same fertilizer application rates, we were getting around 6 t/ha. This year, we achieved a yield of 8.5 t/ha. That means the yield increase attributable to soil analysis was 2.5 t/ha, which translates into approximately $200/ha. So we spent just $10/ha on soil analysis and gained an additional $200/ha in yield,” says Serhii Kvitka.
The farm does not plan to stop there, as its team is confident that embracing precision farming is the right path to success. The farm therefore plans to repeat soil analysis every two years and also purchase modern equipment for variable-rate fertilizer application.
“Today, machines are already available that can apply fertilizers at variable rates. The prescription map is uploaded to the tractor’s onboard computer, and the fertilizer application rate varies according to the prescription maps. Our goal for the next two to three years is to purchase this type of equipment for the farm,” says the farm’s co-owner, outlining the plans.
“It is a very interesting and challenging endeavor, but also a highly profitable one today. In any case, if you do everything properly, on time, and to a high standard, you will achieve significant gains. You always need to look ahead and stay focused on results, because results can only be achieved when the resources we have are used as efficiently as possible.”
“So, you don’t have to be a large agricultural producer to adopt modern technologies. They can be used even by an individual farmer. There is no need to hesitate for too long — this is the future,” concluded Andrii Ledenov.
It is hard to disagree with this: by embracing innovation today, farmers can build greater stability and profitability for tomorrow.
So, is there really any reason to wait?
“It’s a very interesting and challenging endeavor, but also a highly profitable one today. In any case, if you do everything properly, on time, and to a high standard, you will achieve significant gains. You always need to look ahead and stay focused on results, because results can only be achieved when the resources we have are used as efficiently as possible.”
