EkoNiva Group, the largest agricultural holding in Russia, have started the autumn sowing. The operations in Kaluga oblast are sowing winter rapeseed, and in Ryazan oblast will also begin it soon. in late August, grain sowing is usually laucnched at the Siberian operations, and further – in the Volga region, Kaluga and Voronezh oblasts.

In total, EkoNiva is planning to plant about 74,500 ha of winter crops including forages, which is 1,500 ha more than last year – 73,000 ha. The company’s crop farming business is based in 13 regions of operation.

The grain cropping plan features about 63,000 ha of winter wheat (+2% versus the previous year), over 4,000 ha of rye (+64%), about 3,600 ha of Triticale (64%). In the oilseed segment, the rapeseed area is increased by 13% – up to 900 ha, and winter camelina area – up to 3,000 ha.

EkoNiva keeps on implementing precision farming practices to maximise the efficiency of land use, reduce seed costs and improve the yields. Under the ongoing trials, the farms are going to sow at a variable rate about 900 ha of winter grains in Voronezh oblast and 800 ha in Novosibirsk oblast.

‘For variable sowing, we use soil fertility maps based on the soil chemical analysis, the NDVI, indicator of vegetation quality and density at various field areas, and the yield data from harvester sensors’, comments Aleksandr Anpilov, Crop Production Director of EkoNiva Holding.

EkoNiva farms are fully prepared for the sowing season: supplied with seeds, spare parts and fertiliser. The agricultural machines have been maintained by schedule; about 370 self-propelled and 310 trailed units are expected to drive into the fields soon.