Everyone knows that corn and sunflower are the most popular crops growing in Ukraine. Accordingly, farmers are facing a very important and yet difficult choice: which seed selection should be preferred – national or European?

After visiting several companies in Kirovohrad, Zhytomyr and Kyiv regions, magazine reporters have tried to answer this question.

The first step in finding objective response was communicating with Alexander Litvinov, chief agronomist “Rossiya” Ltd., Kirovohrad region.

Oleg, tell us, please, what crop is a priority for your company?

– Our company has in use over 5600 hectares. In this area we grow different crops, but the most attention is paid to maize and sunflower.

By what criteria you select the seeds?

Oleg Litvinov, chief agronomist “Rossiya” Ltd. – For us the main thing is to get high-quality and high yield. Therefore, we prefer European seed selection.

Seeds of which companies do you use? – For several years we are quite pleased with seeds, which offers the company “TerraVita”. First we planted these hybrids on small areas. But making sure that for a reasonable price you can get good or even better results than buying expensive seeds of other brands, more than half of our land is sown with seeds purchased from the company “TerraVita”.

Why are you interested in seeds of Austrian selection?

– For me as an agronomist in the choice of a hybrid such criterias are important – its resistance to diseases and endurance in adverse climatic conditions. From all of the benefits of hybrid corn from “Raiffeisen Ware Austria AG» (RWA), we can distinguish high resistance to lodging and high resistance to one of the major diseases of crops – smut.

What hybrids of the company are suitable for your climate zone?

– Speaking of corn, the first thing I would mention is the hybrid Saari FAO 270, which is characterized by high yields in difficult climatic conditions. Among early ripening hybrids suitable for our area is the hybrid Hamlet FAO 220, which at proper cultivation technology allows you to get yields of 12 tons/ha. Such hybrids as Novania and Amanita with FAO 310, even with the lack of mid-level moisture and fertilization this year showed yields of about 12 t/ha. As for the sunflower, we are impressed by a hybrid Sillouet that gave the yield of 3,9-4,2 t/ha. This hybrid is extremely resistant to gray and white rot and resistant to downy mildew.

Our readers will also be interested in your opinion on the most promising crop for the next few years.

– In my opinion, apart from growing corn and sunflower we should pay particular attention to rape. Despite the fact that currently there is a tendency to reduce the acreage of winter rape through unclear pricing policy in the sale of marketable seed, I think that next year because of a small amount of acreage of this crop prices will rise in several times. Therefore, in my opinion, a hybrid Ryder from RWA, we planted in 2012 and received a harvest of 4.1 t/ha on the circle, is very promising.

What is your attitude to the abolition of privileges on VAT when buying seed in 2014?

– I think that in this regard we should expect another price increase on seeds. Therefore, I believe that it is appropriate to buy seeds this year our as our company did.

Thank you for your sincere and meaningful conversation. We hope that the experience that you shared with our readers, will be useful in selecting seeds.

Another enterprise that we visited, was FE “Makhno”.

According to I. Makhno, the head of the enterprise, working in agriculture for over 20 years and used the seeds of both domestic and foreign selection, the best results showed the hybrid crops of Austrian selection RWA, seed of which provides the company “TerraVita”. In the use of the enterprise is 700 hectares of arable land, of which 70% of the area planted with hybrids of sunflower and corn of breeding of this company. For example, hybrid Novania FAO 310 – 150 ha on the background of fertilization (ammophos, 100 kg/ha) made it possible to get yield 10 t/ha humidity 17%; hybrid Amanita FAO 310 – 260 hectares – 10.5 t/ha.

Among sunflower hybrids should be highlighted the hybrid Sillouet that demonstrates yields 3.5 t/ha on the circle. Head of enterprise said that these hybrids will not only have a high potential yield, and a very attractive price. “It makes no sense to overpay for the brand and have a risk to buy a” pig in a poke” if you can get a high profit for rational spending on seed,” – said Ivan Makhno.

To ensure to which seed is still better to give preference, we decided to make another visit – in PE “Evrosem” and interview the chief agronomist A. Sikora. This company is located in Kiev region in its use – 9500 hectares of land, plant prefers growing crops such as corn and soybeans.

Your company is located in one of the most favorable climatic zones, which allows to grow a variety of crops, but most of the area is sown with corn. Please explain why this crop?

– Because recent years corn becomes one of the most successful crop for cultivation due to very high yield potential and considerable success breeding progress in this direction.

What selection do you think has more potential, national or European?

– In my opinion – European, because the selective operation and improvement of new hybrids in multimillion foreign companies are able to invest enough money in comparison with Ukrainian breeding station.

Which hybrids you preferred this year? – This year we are impressed with the hybrids purchased from the company “TerraVita”. These seeds of Austrian selection, not inferior in quality and yields seed for the leading seed companies, besides it is at relatively low prices.

Please tell more about your experience in using hybrids that are offered by “TerraVita”. What progress has been made during their planting? – comparing with hybrids of other companies, I liked most the hybrid Saari of FAO 270. We sowed his seed with 80 thousand grains/ha. As for plant protection, we applied 100 kg of complex fertilizers nitroamofosu (16:16:16) and spring – 300 kg of carbamide, also conducted cultivation, applying a soil herbicide Pioneer (acetochlor, 900 g/l, also proposed by “TerraVita”) at a dose of 3 l/ha. Concerning the difficult climatic conditions this year, this hybrid showed high drought tolerance, resistance to lodging resistance and bubble planting.

Is it the best maize hybrid for your company?

– I can not say that only this hybrid is the best. Also very good result compared to competitors, showed the hybrid Novania FAO 310 from producer RWA. It was planted by plowing, and, thanks to the “soil cultivation” and reserve moisture corn hybrid that hardly suffered from the summer stress caused by heat and drought, and gave the opportunity to receive the yield not less than 13 t/ha.

So you believe that the Austrian selection RWA has competitive level?

– Yes, I believe that the quality of seeds of the company “Raiffeisen Ware Austria AG” is not inferior to other well-known companies also differs by affordable prices. Thus, we see that the European selection – a high-quality seeds, is the main component of an excellent harvest.

Summarizing the results of our visits to farms and operating parameters yields used hybrids, it is safe to say that the seeds of Austrian selection that “TerraVita” offers – is a rational and competitive in quality and price, allowing farmers to obtain high yield and increase the profitability of the company. In addition, company employees are consistently and transparently, giving great importance to the reputation of RWA in Ukraine, and are responsible for the quality of the made products that are very relevant in today’s environment. The company’s work is aimed at expanding the scope of services, improve service and provide proper information support farmers to develop a successful business. The main goal of “TerraVita” – do everything possible to make quality seeds available for Ukrainian farmers to ensure sustainable harvest and a decent income.