Plant Growing is one of  the most profitable kinds of agricultural business.

110% profit rate is a norm for Plant Growing, the norm and yet not the limit.

With traditional model of plant growing production costs take a heavy toll of profit. A successful agricultural producer is the one who gathers a good harvest with minimum expenses.

Resource-Saving Technologies in Agriculture

No-Till technology  — is an economic model of plant growing. When developing this technology the specialists took zero tillage as a basis, paid more attention to process optimization and as a result made plant growing manageable, predictable and cost effective.

With current agriculture management 80% of harvest depends on nature. With No-Till technology weather and climate impact on plant growing efficiency is reduced to 20%. The rest 80% depend on technology and agriculture management unified into one system.

No-Till technology  — is the most rational approach to plant growing, weighed with relation to ecology and economy. This approach excludes any mechanical effect on soil and stipulates direct seeding on stubble remains with minimum damage of soil structure.

Stubble remains

Changing for technology with minimal and then zero tillage starts from harvesting campaign where shredded stubble remains are equally distributed on the field. As a result soil protecting cover is formed which resists wind and water erosion, provides moisture preservation and prevents weed vegetation from growing, helps soil microflora activation. This soil protecting cover is the basis for fertile layer revival and crops yield.

Stubble remains functions:

• moisture preservation;
• soil protection from overheating during drought;
• sown area protection from weed vegetation;
• contribution to soil erosion reduction;
• basis for fertile layer revival;
• possibility to avoid using ineffective and economically unsound vapors.

Crop rotation

Crop rotation is paid a lot of attention in No-Till system. Crop alternation is just the part of crop rotation. A lot of factors influence selection of crop rotation.

Factors influencing crop rotation:

• Water consumption;
• Snow retaining ability;
• Pathogenic organisms;
• Insects life cycle;
• Phytotoxicity;
• Control over weed population;
• Capacity for alternation of different herbicides usage;
• Potential profitability;
• Required equipment;
• Optimal row width;
• Terms of seeding and harvesting work (working load);
• Constraint and encouraging factors of agricultural program;
• Market acceptability

Each farmer should choose crop rotation for his farm. But there is a number of important principles suitable for operating in any conditions: principle of annual grain and broad-leaved crops alternation as well as change of crops of warm and cold period. The principle of influence of precursor on crop is allelopathy and synergism.

Crop rotation functions:

• Weed vegetation reductionснижение роста сорняков;
• Crop disease reduction;
• Optimisation of nutrients and moisture usage;
• Load allocation on machinery;
• Agricultural potential profitability increase

Green manure

Green manure is sown for increase in organic matter content in soil, stimulation of soil nitrogen and microbiological activity formation, elimination of weed vegetation, soil structure improvement, nutrients leaching and erosion reduction, snow and water retaining.

Green manure is an effective instrument of influence on in resource-saving farming in case of correct integration into crop rotation.

Green manure functions:

• Increase in organic matter content in soil;
• Fertilizer costs cutting;
• Nitrogen accumulation;
• Water filtration increase;
• Providing sound soil condition;
• Crop vitality increase which means yeild;
• Control over weed vegetation;
• Herbicides usage reduction

Processing steps

Harvesting

Change for  resource-saving, tillage farming starts with  harvesting campaign. The basis of zero-tillage technology - a layer of stubble remains is formed during  this period.

Leaving stubble remains on the field and their accumulation forwards renovation and increase of soil’s fauna and constantly emitted organic remains. Leaving sufficient quantity of stubble remains on the surface we in such a way nourish and protect soil against erosive processes.

Experts of “Agro-Soyuz” were able to reduce time of combine downtime, quantity of servicing automotive transport and increase field rate of machinery efficiency using 7-meter stripper head “Slavyanka” and storage hopper which can receive grain from combine on the move.

Cultivation

Only during  transition period from  traditional farming to  No-Till.

Experts advise to use step-by-step transition to the zero technology through the minimal tillage which excludes moldboard plowing but also uses cultivation. The latter is necessary for surface leveling of cultivation area while preserving soil’s natural structure and mechanical struggle with weeds during stubble remains layer forming.

18 meter cultivator was used for qualitative realization of all subsequent technological operations (processing steps) and preserving of up to 80% of stubble remains on the surface. Allopelagic tillage, field surface leveling and preserving of soil’s natural structure were fulfilled with its help.

Cultivation at an angle of 15-20 degrees to the previous tillage ensures effective field leveling. Machinery efficiency increases due to the width of cut and high speed of tillage.

Seeding

Direct seeding of stubble remains minimally affecting soils structure, prevents erosion and decreases moisture loss.

Wide-cut seeding machine TURBOSEM produced by «Agro-Soyuz» Corporation performs two technological production steps per one pass: sows seeds and applies starting granular chemical fertilizers together with seeds. The width of cut saves tillage time, decreases production costs and firming of soil. Utilization of liquid fertilizers makes for quick and available fixation of nutrients by crops.

Protection

While treatment of crops with solution against diseases, pests and weeds it is necessary to cover the maximum leaf surface of plants and distribute pesticides uniformly. Timely fulfillment of work considering air temperature, wind speed, etc.

Use of wide-cut (27m) self-propelled spraying machine «Hagie» for treatment of crops against diseases, pests and weeds enables to handle up to 1000 hectares per 24 hours.

Liquid fertilizing of crops in the vegetation period and also sunflower desiccation are allowed.

Expensive machinery  — 6 times cheaper!