EkoNiva has held a field seminar for farmers of Voronezh, Volgograd and Rostov oblasts.

The primary focus was on the varieties from the company’s in-house plant breeding programmes and on how to grow cereals and pulses in the extremely arid regions of southern Russia. EkoNiva’s Voronezh enterprise in Buturlinovka district provided the venue for the meeting. Its demonstration fields featured the varieties of spring and winter crops from the company's portfolio and the Group’s main breeding achievements.

‘Our partners’ farms operate in challenging weather conditions, such as poor soil moisture availability and frequent, long droughts. We suggest paying special attention to the varieties of winter wheat EN Albireo, EN Voin, EN Photon and EN Persey, which have high drought resistance, adapt well to sudden temperature fluctuations and demonstrate excellent productivity even in a severe climate’, says Maksim Golovanyov, a consultant in EkoNiva’s plant breeding and seed growing subdivision.

The seminar was also devoted to the development of the segment of oilseeds and pulses. The most important issues were the use of special technologies in soya bean cultivation and the effect of protein balance and yielding capacity on the quality of the final product. In addition, suitable agronomic practices unlocking the full potential of different soya bean varieties were discussed, as well as new approaches to soil resource management and efficient moisture-saving technologies allowing to cut down costs and improve the economic performance of farms. The company’s experts advised the participants on the selection of the best agricultural methods and farming management techniques for risk zones, where weather anomalies are more likely to occur.

Plans are afoot for the company to further increase the area planted with seeds of highly productive varieties that have been successfully tested in the southern part of the Central Black Soil region and the Southern Federal District.