How to Cut Costs and Increase Yields Without Multimillion Investments

Our planter is the heart of the farm. We retrofitted it with precision planting systems, which allow us not just to sow, but to manage every seed. The following equipment was installed: Vset2 vacuum seed meters, Vdrive electric drives and the SeedSense 20|20 planting control monitor. The Trimble GFX 750 autopilot enables us to work with centimeter-level accuracy, which is critical for a differentiated approach.

Although our combine harvester is quite old, it is equipped with precision farming systems. Thanks to mapping, we can see the real potential of each part of the field, which provides data for variable-rate planting.

The introduction of precision planting systems and autopilot has fundamentally changed our cost structure. We reduced fuel consumption from more than 80 l/ha to 50 l/ha for the full cycle, including logistics. This means not only significant budget savings, but also a direct reduction in CO₂ emissions. Automatic section control and mapping have eliminated overlaps — we no longer sow «into empty space.»

In addition to improving our machinery fleet, we are experimenting with soil tillage systems. For us, no-till is not simply the absence of plowing. It is a constant search for the ideal formula. We are experimenting with planting geometry — Twin Row planting — so that each plant receives maximum light and nutrition. This technology has shown the best results in soybean crops.

We are teaching crops to «cooperate» by sowing mixtures that naturally enrich the soil with nitrogen. In particular, the combination of barley and peas creates an effective symbiosis — ensuring both yield and the accumulation of micronutrients in the soil.

At the same time, we apply a differentiated approach to planting: we change the seeding rate depending on the yield zone, which allows us to use the field’s potential as efficiently as possible.

Another separate area of work is niche crops. We are constantly looking for options that best fit into a regenerative farming system. We already have experience growing chickpeas and coriander, and this year we will sow flax for the first time.

Combined with cover crops and precision application, this has allowed us to optimize the crop nutrition system: the rate of complex fertilizers has been reduced to 50 kg/ha, compared with more than 100 kg/ha previously.

Innovation has given us the most important result — stable yield growth while reducing production costs. In particular, over the past two years, the farm’s average corn yield has exceeded 50 c/ha, while neighboring farms remain below 30 c/ha.

Along with the results, attitudes toward our approaches have also changed: those who were skeptical of our methods just yesterday are becoming our clients today.

We have turned our own experience into a separate area of activity. Today, we not only grow agricultural products, but also provide agronomic support to other farms, helping them implement and scale effective solutions.

For reference: «Vyshneve Agro» farm is a finalist of the nationwide POWER OF AGROCHANGES  competition in the Innovation in Farming nomination. The competition is organized by the online media outlet AgroPortal.ua with the support of the USAID Agriculture Resilience Initiative — Ukraine (AGRI-Ukraine), funded by the U.S. Government and implemented by Chemonics International.

Ivanna Panasiuk, AgroPortal.ua