2019
Climate change, and with it the changing conditions for growing crops, poses new challenges for farmers. It is not enough to have quality seed and to apply mineral fertilizers and crop protection products on time — farmers have to introduce innovations, adapt technologies and fight for scarce moisture.
In terms of weather, 2019 was rather mixed for agricultural producers. Spring rains and a prolonged drought during the autumn sowing campaign have affected and will continue to affect yields. These factors have to be partly offset. After all, agricultural production is developing intensively, and new challenges will force traditional approaches to change.
Roman Franchuk, Director of Agricultural Production at LNZ Group, told AgroPortal.ua about this and more.
Get to the root
In 2019, LNZ Group placed its main bet on corn. It accounts for the largest share of the crop structure — over 50%. According to Franchuk, yields of the crop vary greatly from region to region. For example, the Shpola cluster harvested 94 c/ha on average. On the Left Bank the results were more modest — 74-80 c/ha.
«Threshing is not finished yet. But we can see that in terms of moisture this year did not turn out very well, — says Franchuk. — The second half of summer was very dry. In the Shpola area, one heavy rain saved the harvest. In other regions there was no precipitation, so everything burned out».
Although, he notes, the start was good. The corn grew well but did not root deeply, because spring and the first half of summer were quite rainy. «There was enough moisture, the plant felt good and spread its roots in the upper soil layer. So when the heat came, it turned out to be unprepared for it», — recalls the Director of Agricultural Production.
Drought, cold, heat — natural disasters cannot be predicted. And while a lack of precipitation can somehow be offset by irrigation, the others are more difficult. Agronomic practices have to be changed and new machinery selected.
Previously, Franchuk notes, corn in Ukraine was sown with 70 cm row spacing. Now farmers are switching to 50 cm row spacing. This gives a more even distribution of plants, faster canopy closure between rows and moisture retention.
«This year we completely replaced our planter fleet and switched to 50-centimetre row spacing. The yield gain compared with the traditional technology is from half a tonne to a tonne of corn per hectare», — LNZ Group shares.
All tillage operations are also geared towards moisture retention. Ploughing is used less, deep loosening more. Alongside this, the company is introducing elements of precision farming. In particular, this year a cluster with variable-rate fertilizer application was set up. Nutrient rates are determined based on the results of soil analyses carried out in the company's own laboratory.
In addition, LNZ Group has purchased planters designed for variable-rate seeding.
Crop protection plays an equally important role. «On all fields we use crop protection products exclusively of the DEFENDA brand. Despite being a new brand, they are already gaining popularity on the domestic market. It is clear why — the products are modern, highly effective and offer a good price-quality ratio. It is also very convenient that the products are single-component, so we can choose what we need and not overpay for anything else», — Franchuk shares.
Besides research into agronomic innovations, great attention is paid to trials in seed production. Sowing selected hybrids adapted to the natural and climatic conditions of Ukraine means laying a powerful foundation for a high yield, says Franchuk.
«We take a wide range of American and Canadian hybrids, study them here and, based on the results we get, decide on their further multiplication. This year we studied 600 hybrids. Of these, we kept 8 that performed best in our conditions», — the producer emphasizes.
The research was conducted on micro-plots all over Ukraine, with different soils and climatic conditions. «It is a continuous selection process. This is exactly how we found several hybrids that we will launch into production next year», — he adds.
Sharing experience
In today's conditions it is not enough to offer a farmer seed, says the Director of Agricultural Production at LNZ Group. The company has created a department that supports clients from sowing to harvest.
LNZ Group agronomists provide clients with full consulting. The service package also includes crop protection products and, recently, fertilizers.
«We strive to share our experience and proven technologies and to exchange knowledge. This is the key to a successful harvest», — summed up
Roman Franchuk.
Nataliia Rekunenko, AgroPortal.ua
