RIA Novosti: The sowing campaign at Prodimex agricultural enterprises in the Voronezh region is nearing completion
May 21Source RIA Voronezh
The sowing campaign continues actively at Prodimex Group farms in the Voronezh region. As of the start of the second ten days of May, sugar beet — the holding’s strategic crop — had been sown on almost 90% of the total area. However, the agronomic services of the northern-zone branches forecast that a small part of the fields will not be sown because of heavy waterlogging.
Early grain crops — spring barley and spring wheat — have also been sown on almost 90% of the planned area. Here too certain difficulties are observed, as some fields are heavily waterlogged. As for winter wheat, agronomists note good development of the crop. Nevertheless, certain areas where its crops suffered from weather conditions and pests are planned to be re-sown with spring wheat and soybeans. The farms have started sowing soybeans, and about 10% of the area for this crop has been sown to date.
Agronomic services monitor the condition of crops daily, including their degree of weed infestation. Crop treatments with plant protection products have begun. Sugar beet, winter and spring crops have been treated. The fields are being actively cultivated: roadsides and field edges are being cleared of weeds.
The company has already begun preparing for the next agricultural season:
The agricultural enterprises have started collecting data to calculate the forecast yield of early grain crops. At this stage it is very important to estimate the planned harvest as closely as possible, because the work of the elevators, the need for harvesting and transport equipment, and the necessary warehouse space depend directly on it. Routine repair and preparation of combine harvesters for the season is under way on schedule.
A number of field demonstration trials are planned this year. Tests of various row-crop seed drills have already been conducted, and different varieties of winter and spring wheat have been sown in the eastern and northern zones for comparison. In the near future the sowing of many different soybean varieties and sunflower hybrids is planned — this will help choose the optimal options for the planned variety changeover on the farms. Special attention is paid to setting up experiments comparing sugar beet hybrids of domestic and foreign breeding. Trials of various seed dressings, fungicides and herbicides are also planned.
Early grain crops — spring barley and spring wheat — have also been sown on almost 90% of the planned area. Here too certain difficulties are observed, as some fields are heavily waterlogged. As for winter wheat, agronomists note good development of the crop. Nevertheless, certain areas where its crops suffered from weather conditions and pests are planned to be re-sown with spring wheat and soybeans. The farms have started sowing soybeans, and about 10% of the area for this crop has been sown to date.
Agronomic services monitor the condition of crops daily, including their degree of weed infestation. Crop treatments with plant protection products have begun. Sugar beet, winter and spring crops have been treated. The fields are being actively cultivated: roadsides and field edges are being cleared of weeds.
The company has already begun preparing for the next agricultural season:
- purchases of potash fertilizers have started for application for the 2027 harvest;
- contracting of nitrogen fertilizers has been launched;
- at the Talovsky seed plant, conditioning of the carry-over stock of winter wheat has begun. In the near future these seeds will be sent to the southern-zone branches — they will be the first to start sowing winter wheat.
The agricultural enterprises have started collecting data to calculate the forecast yield of early grain crops. At this stage it is very important to estimate the planned harvest as closely as possible, because the work of the elevators, the need for harvesting and transport equipment, and the necessary warehouse space depend directly on it. Routine repair and preparation of combine harvesters for the season is under way on schedule.
A number of field demonstration trials are planned this year. Tests of various row-crop seed drills have already been conducted, and different varieties of winter and spring wheat have been sown in the eastern and northern zones for comparison. In the near future the sowing of many different soybean varieties and sunflower hybrids is planned — this will help choose the optimal options for the planned variety changeover on the farms. Special attention is paid to setting up experiments comparing sugar beet hybrids of domestic and foreign breeding. Trials of various seed dressings, fungicides and herbicides are also planned.