Кейс: Результаты по подсолнечнику

How a farm in the Kursk Region increased sunflower yield by 50% and oil content by 6% in one season

Yield +50% • Oil content +6%

Farm profile

Name
Ekoistok LLC (sole proprietor E.N. Bedakova)
Size (ha)
total field area 180 ha (trial plot 15 ha, control 15 ha)
Location
Russia, Kursk Region, Zolotukhinsky District, Apalkovo village
Focus
oilseed crops (sunflower, “Neoma” variety)

Situation

The standard sunflower growing technology produced a yield of about 24 c/ha, below the variety's potential.

Seed quality (oil content) remained at 48%, not the maximum for oilseed varieties.

Heavy use of mineral fertilizers (urea, magnesium sulfate) and chemical insecticides drove up production costs.

The farm needed to improve both quantity and quality indicators without increasing spending on chemicals.

Objective

  • Increase sunflower yield on the trial plot.
  • Increase the oil content of the seeds to achieve a higher selling price.
  • Reduce or replace part of the mineral top dressing and chemical insecticides with biological products.

What we did

  • Trial setup: two 15 ha plots (trial and control) were allocated on field No. 7. Autumn preparation (25 cm plowing + 40 cm deep loosening) and spring application of mineral fertilizers (16:16:16 – 200 kg/ha, in-row – 50 kg/ha) were identical.
  • The first herbicide treatment (Eurolighting 1.2 l/ha) was the same on both plots.
  • The second treatment (7 days later) was the key difference:
    • Trial: Vermix 2 l/ha + Biocraft-Universal 1 l/ha + Boron 0.5 l/ha + BIO insecticide.
    • Control: Urea 2 kg/ha + Magnesium sulfate 4 kg/ha + Boron 1 l/ha + Alpha-Cypi 0.2 l/ha (chemical insecticide).

Results

  • Yield, c/ha

    Before
    24
    After
    36
    Change
    +12 c/ha (+50%)

  • Oil content, %

    Before
    48
    After
    54
    Change
    +6 pp (+12.5%)

  • Grain moisture, %

    Before
    8
    After
    7
    Change
    1% lower – better for storage

Additional effect:

  • Partial replacement of mineral top dressing (urea + magnesium sulfate) with biological products (Vermix, Biocraft).
  • Replacement of the chemical insecticide (Alpha-Cypi) with a biological one (BIO), reducing the pesticide load.

Economics

72,000 RUB
Revenue per ha — control
24 c × 3,000 RUB
≈ 114,480 RUB
Revenue per ha — trial
36 c × 3,000 RUB × 1.06 (oil content premium)
≈ 42,480 RUB
Additional revenue per ha

Calculation based on average 2021 market prices for the Kursk region.

Prices (approximate):

  • Sunflower sales – 30,000 RUB/t (3,000 RUB/c) – average price for oilseed sunflower with 48–50% oil content
  • Premium for higher oil content (54%) – approximately +5–7% to the price

Evidence

  • Test report No. 46 dated 1 December 2021, signed by a representative of Ekoistok LLC.
  • Comparative field trial: control and trial plots of 15 ha each under identical soil and climate conditions.
  • Laboratory indicators: oil content (48% vs 54%), moisture (8% vs 7%).
  • The full treatment scheme was recorded (herbicide treatment, split second treatment).
The technology using Vermix and Biocraft-Universal in the second treatment made it possible to replace part of the mineral fertilizers and the chemical insecticide, increasing sunflower yield by 50%, oil content by 12.5%, and net additional income by more than 40,000 RUB per hectare.

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