Ukrainian farmers are fighting for fertility: the latest methods and climate initiatives for sustainable agriculture

Ukraine remains an important supplier of food to the world. Currently, the primary task on the lands that were under occupation seems to be their demining for further cultivation, sowing and harvesting. But one of the most important challenges that agricultural holdings will face after cleaning the soil will be the restoration and preservation of their fertility.

It is worth noting that instead of intensive processing, domestic farmers are increasingly using methods that help nature: they dig up the ground less, sow cover crops, and use biological preparations. This keeps the soil healthy, reduces soil erosion and helps retain moisture. Modern technologies, in particular, satellite monitoring and precise management of resources, help to take better care of the fields.

In addition, agricultural holdings join climate initiatives, in particular carbon certificates, programs that make it possible to earn money by reducing carbon emissions. This is important because it helps the domestic agricultural sector to become environmentally responsible and competitive in the world.

Ukraine plays an important role in the fight against climate change. By implementing conservation practices, our farmers not only reduce emissions, but also help the soil retain more carbon. To get closer to the Eurozone, the agricultural sector will have to adapt to European rules. That is, use less pesticides and fertilizers, develop organic production and take care of nature conservation.

What initiatives do agricultural holdings resort to in order to optimize the condition of the soil?

Recently on collected, dedicated to the problems of land degradation in Ukraine and their restoration, gathered government officials, entrepreneurs, scientists, educators and farmers. BTU Soil Health implemented an initiative to improve soil conditions and popularize the latest technologies. They discussed the issue of restoring lands damaged by hostilities and the subject of European integration, which requires the adaptation of agricultural legislation, in particular regarding land management, based on the fact that in the Eurozone by 2030 it is planned to reduce the use of chemicals by half and reduce fertilizers by ⅕, while maintaining productivity soils

The general director of the BTU group of companies emphasized the importance of reducing the use of pesticides, implementing technologies for soil conservation, protecting natural areas with rich biodiversity and developing organic agriculture. He also noted that the market of biological preparations in Ukraine, which suffered due to the war, is now recovering.

Company “TAS Agro” also changed the approach to soil cultivation, because it understands that their fertility is important for success. The company owns 80 thousand hectares of land in five regions of Ukraine with different climatic conditions. They abandoned traditional plowing, which causes soil erosion, for example, in the Vinnytsia region.

In areas with a sufficient amount of precipitation, sider crops are used – plants that are grown to improve the quality of the soil. After harvesting, they are plowed or buried in the ground, which contributes to enriching the soil with organic substances, improving its structure and increasing the nitrogen content. These crops also help prevent soil erosion, improve water-holding capacity and increase microbiological activity in the soil. Commonly used siderates include legumes (eg, alfalfa, clover) and some cereals (eg, oats or canola).

And in the south, vertical tillage is used, in which only the vertical layers of the soil are cultivated, and not the surface or deep layers. This improves aeration, water absorption and root activity of plants without disturbing the upper fertile layer. This method helps to use water more efficiently, improves soil structure and prevents erosion.

Strip-till technology is used for sowing rapeseed and wheat. It is an agricultural technology that combines elements of traditional plowing and minimal tillage, which involves the processing of only narrow strips of soil directly in the seed sowing zone, leaving other parts of the field untouched.

The holding revised the criteria for choosing agricultural machinery, in particular combines, giving preference to models that ensure high-quality grinding and uniform distribution of residues after harvesting. This maintains soil fertility at a stable level, preventing its depletion in the future.

In addition, the general director of “TAS Agro” shared the experience of a trip to Brazil, where he was impressed by the efficiency of local farms that use biological methods control of plant pests and diseases, completely avoiding chemicals. Thanks to exclusively biological preparations, farmers consistently obtain a soybean harvest at the level of four tons per hectare.

Company “Western Bug” is the leading producer of sugar beets and sugar in Ukraine. Their land bank is 65 thousand. ha, of which only a third is occupied by fertile soils, the rest – less productive carbonate lands, peatlands and sands.

For its part, in order to increase the efficiency of land use, the company has classified soils into nine categories, for which separate recommendations have been created regarding the selection of crops and agrotechnical measures. For example, in short crop rotations with sugar beet, there is often a threat of root rot development due to the accumulation of pathogenic organisms. Siderates, biological preparations containing Trichoderma and Bacillus bacteria, as well as composts made from organic raw materials are used to combat this problem.

To grow barley, wheat, soybeans and canola on less fertile soils, the company uses the Strip-till method, which allows you to conserve moisture and save up to $100 per hectare per crop rotation. For corn, drugs are used that stimulate the formation of mycorrhiza, which positively affects the yield. This is especially important because corn is planted after sugar beets, which can impair soil structure and microbiological activity. Thanks to such methods, the company receives up to 13 tons of corn, 9 tons of wheat, 9.6 tons of barley, and 80 tons of sugar beets per hectare on low-productivity lands.

The company participates in a program that helps store and increase carbon in soils. They use methods that reduce CO₂ emissions and promote soil carbon sequestration, including cover crops, minimization of plowing, crop rotation with siderates, and organic fertilizers.

How Strip-till, Mini-till and Verty-till improve soil conditions

As the company’s agronomist notes, “Technopol Agro”, earlier farmers treated new soil cultivation technologies with caution, but now they are actively implementing them. The company is testing different technologies in its fields in the Kirovohrad region, starting with classic methods and gradually moving to Strip-till, which was discussed above, Mini-till – a method in which the soil is only partially cultivated, preserving its structure, which reduces erosion and improves moisture conservation, as well as Verty-till – a vertical tillage system that improves aeration and water absorption, leaving organic residues on the surface. These methods help preserve soil fertility and reduce carbon emissions.

The author’s technology “Power of living soil” was also developed. Domestic farmers are very dependent on moisture, so we are actively working to preserve it. If previously the soil was fertilized with the help of spreaders or sprayers, now injectors are used for direct introduction into the soil. Also, the effectiveness of fertilizers is enhanced with the help of biological preparations.

Biological methods as a powerful tool for saving depleted soils

On the background climate change and soil degradation, faced by the domestic agricultural industry and its desire for European integration, it is biological methods that can become an effective tool for farmers in the fight against such challenges.

In particular, optimal use of fertilizers allows to reduce their use by 30-50%. It also contributes to better assimilation of necessary nutrients by plants, in particular thanks to special mobilizers of phosphorus and potassium. The use of biological preparations helps to reduce the dependence on chemical plant protection agents, which is important for sustainable and ecological agriculture, as is the case in, say, Brazil.

The use of biological preparations helps plants better tolerate stressful conditions. Thus, the BTU company investigated the effect of biostimulants Organic-Balance, Azotophyt and Liposam on corn stress resistance genes. It turned out that treated plants have a reduced level of activity of these genes, which increases their resistance to stress factors. It is important to apply biostimulants before adverse conditions arise. Also, the correct use of biological preparations contributes to the improvement and restoration of soils.

In addition, biological preparations can increase the yield of crops by 1/10. According to studies, with the correct application of biotechnology, it is possible to increase the margin by 50-150 USD per ton.

The experts concluded that in order to achieve a balance between yield, profit and soil health, it is necessary to develop a comprehensive system adapted to climate change. This includes agrochemical and microbiological soil research, proper tillage, scientifically based crop rotation structure and the use of biological methods to protect against diseases and pests.

.. We have only touched on the important tasks facing Ukrainian farmers in their struggle to preserve and restore the fertility of our lands. These tireless efforts are aimed at ensuring the stability of the agricultural sector, so that the shelves of our stores are always overflowing with the generous gifts of our native land. Next time, we will talk about the experience of decarbonization of production and organic farming in MHP, the use of biogas and the introduction of soil carbon programs and other innovative developments in Kernel.

Tetyana Viktorova