Sunflower is not only a strategic crop for Ukraine's agricultural sector but also one of the key export products that form the foundation of the national economy. Desiccation as an agricultural operation plays a crucial role in ensuring high-quality harvests and uniform ripening, which is critically important under current conditions.
The third "Open Talk with DroneUA" on the topic “Sunflower Desiccation 2.0: A Strategy for Global Market Leadership”, held on August 15, 2024, brought together government representatives, industry experts, and business owners to discuss current market trends, the process of desiccation using agricultural drones, and the undeniable economic and technological benefits of performing this agricultural operation on sunflowers.
The place of sunflower in the national economy and the global market. Forecast for the increase in sown areas
In the structure of Ukraine's sown areas, sunflower occupies about 22%, which makes the country one of the leaders in growing the crop. Roman Kosenko, Director of the Department of Agricultural Development of the Cherkasy Regional State Administration, cites the following figures for sunflower exports:
- in the category of oilseeds and fruits - USD 973 million. (or 5.8% of total exports);
- in the category of fats and oils of animal or vegetable origin - USD 2 billion 676 million. (or 16% of total exports).
In particular, the total gross harvest of sunflower is about 13 million tons. The expert notes that last year the total gross harvest of all crops in Cherkasy region amounted to 4.2 million tons, which allowed the region to take the second place in terms of yield in Ukraine.
Considering the condition of crops in the Cherkasy region, Roman Kosenko shares that in January-May 2024, the total export of goods in the Cherkasy region amounted to USD 561 mln. The share of agricultural products amounted to USD 506 million, or 90.3%. USD, or 90.3%. In total, 225.6 thou hectares were sown for the 2024 harvest in all categories of farms in Cherkasy region, of which 18.5% were allocated for sunflower. For comparison, last year the crop was planted on 238.8 thou hectares.
The expert predicts that in 2025 the sunflower acreage will increase as the crop is highly profitable: “Farmers are businessmen. They monitor the markets and adapt to the challenges of today, so they are increasingly including sunflower acreage in the structure of their sown areas.”
That is why the desiccation of sunflower using agrodrones is an important tool for achieving the optimal level of seed moisture during harvesting, which reduces the cost of drying and the cost of further processing.
“The future belongs to drones, as they greatly facilitate and standardize work in the fields, helping to save money and increase efficiency. Drones are proving to be effective in various sectors, and most importantly, they demonstrate the results that help our farmers succeed despite all the challenges,” summarized Roman Kosenko.
Sunflower 2024. Preservation of the crop
Looking at the forecasted sunflower yields on international markets, Anatolii Bezoliuk, Head of Agricultural Business at DroneUA, XAG Ukraine, expects a 2% decrease in Europe, which will correspond to 2.1 tons/ha, and a 1% decrease in the world as a whole, which will be 54.8 million tons compared to 2023.
In terms of regions of Ukraine, the expected yield is planned at the following levels:
- in the South - up to 2-2.5 tons/ha;
- in Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr and Khmelnytsky regions - 5-3 tons/haand more.
The abnormal heat wave that affected almost the entire country hit crop yields. Analysts estimate that Ukraine will not harvest up to 1.5 million tons of sunflower, which is already leading to higher prices:
- currently, the price for 1 ton of sunflower seeds is UAH 19 thousand;
- today, prices are at the level of 20 thousand UAH/tonwith delivery to the elevator
- according to forecasts, prices can reach up to 23 thousand UAH/ton.
“Abnormal weather conditions have led to earlier ripening of sunflower, and thus to faster harvesting. In order to maximize the harvest, most farmers choose desiccation,” said Anatolii Bezoliuk.
In particular, desiccation opens up opportunities for farmers to solve a number of problems
- ensure timely harvesting during the period of predicted or expected rains, which prevents losses
- speed up harvesting for timely preparation of the field for sowing winter crops;
- to stop the development of diseases (phomosis, phomopsis, various types of rot, sclerotinia) and ensure the safety of the crop;
- dry weeds, facilitate harvesting and prevent crop losses;
- reduce the cost of drying and further processing, as well as prevent crop fall
Evaluating the specifics of agricultural operations in farms with different land banks, the expert offers an optimal formula for using agrodrones and engaging service companies that apply desiccants on a professional level:
- large agricultural holdings usually own 1-2 agro-drones, which are often used for R&D activities, so companies are increasingly considering the possibility of engaging service teams;
- farms with an average land bank should focus on acquiring their own agrodrones, as during active seasons the lion's share of service teams are employed in the fields of large companies;
- the solution for small farms is to purchase their own small agrodrones to be able to process fields on time;
- sole proprietors with a land bank of up to 50-100 hectares - the optimal solution is to create cooperatives and partially raise funds for the purchase of an agrodron from government support programs, such as partial compensation.
Anatolii Bezoliuk calculates the payback of the agrodron on the example of losses from trampling sunflower crops on a sown area of 200 hectares. On a field with a simple configuration, the approximate trampling can be about 2%. With a yield of 2.5 tons/ha, the total loss on the field will be 10 tons of sunflower. In terms of the cost of 20 thousand UAH per 1 hectare, the amount will reach 200 thousand UAH for only one technological operation due to trampling.
The expert also recommends taking into account the loss of fuel and lubricants, water logistics, and plant protection products. On an area of 200 hectares, with 2-3 technological operations, a farm can pay off the cost of a small drone and start using it for other operations on its farm.
Sunflower desiccation strategy in agricultural holdings
During the online webinar, Yevhen Sapizhenko, Deputy Director of Agribusiness for Innovation and Digital Development at Kernel, spoke about the company's proven strategies for using agrodrones and service teams.
The expert notes that the agricultural holding currently сooperates with service companies, studies new products, tests various drones, and evaluates the effectiveness of technologies. Such a balanced approach allows the company to remain as flexible as possible, responding to various challenges with maximum efficiency and benefit.
Evaluating the feasibility of using agrodrones in the desiccation process, Yevhen Sapizhenko shared the key issues the company faced in the current agricultural season. In particular, the main difficulties in growing sunflower were:
- low pollination of the crop in some clusters, which resulted in half-full sunflower baskets. Therefore, it is predicted that this year's harvest shortfall may be about 10% in the fields of Cherkasy and Poltava regions, as well as in Uman and Holovanivsk, where there is a long period of heat;
- the emergence of diseases such as white rot, which can be prevented or stopped from spreading into the soil by desiccation with agrodrones, as well as verticillium wilt, which, according to the expert, seriously affects the weight and quality of products.
In addition, the expert notes that: “In large clusters, where desiccation is an annual mandatory operation, it is worth having our own agrodrones, so we are gradually moving in this direction.”
Attracting bees is a new tool for farmers
Considering the pollination process as one of the key aspects that determines the yield of many crops, such as sunflower, soybeans and buckwheat, Oleksandr Oliynyk, Head of Registration and Product Development at Summit-Agro Ukraine, spoke about the role of attractants using agrodrones.
Among the main reasons for insufficient pollination of crops, the expert identifies:
- prolonged hot weather;
- сertain buckwheat varieties are not attractive to pollinators, which is why attractants must be used;
- inconvenient flower structure for the bees;
- spraying substances with repellent properties on neighboring fields.
The use of attractants can increase the activity of pollinating insects, increase the efficiency of pollen transfer, and, accordingly, increase yields and improve product quality.
Practical application of the product with the help of agrodrones in the fields demonstrated the following increase in yields by crops
- sunflower - 40-50%;
- buckwheat - 35-40%;
- Rapeseed - 25-30%.
In particular, to qualitatively determine the impact of Summit-Agro Ukraine's attractant on bee activity, yield, and honey collection, DroneUA, NUBiP, and AmoHive performed an experiment on 5 hectares of sunflower in the Kyiv region. The rate of solution outflow was 1 liter/ha, with a total amount of 7 liters. The activity of carnica and Ukrainian steppe bees was studied for 17 days in 4 smart hives at a distance of 1.3 km.
“DroneUA provided high-quality application of agrodrones on sunflower, and NUBiP conducted registration and counting of insects. On the one hand, the experiment was carried out in high heat, about 35-38°C, which had a negative impact on the flight of bees. On the other hand, it contributed to good nectar production, so in the morning and evening the bees still pollinated the flower,” Oleksandr Oliynyk said.
The results of the experiment demonstrated a 10% increase in bees on the sunflower basket during the flowering period, which increased pollination and total honey collection. The peak of honey production lasted for 3-4 days, which led to overflow of frames in the honeycombs.
“Since the frames in the hive were full, the specialists had to take the honey away during the experiment. After such an intervention, the bees significantly reduced their flight. Therefore, it is important to prepare the apiary in such a way as to minimize human intervention in the hive. A few days after the frames were freed, pollinator flight was restored, which indicates a prolonged effect of the drug,” the expert summarized.
Carrying out desiccation with the help of service companies
The use of drones for agricultural operations has proven to be effective, allowing for optimal distribution of products, improving the quality of application, optimizing resource consumption, and ensuring timely processing even on fields with complex configurations.
Yevhen Teterev, Technical Manager of FarmFleet, revealed the key aspects of applying crop protection products by drones. In particular, the expert highlights the following indicators and conditions for efficient agricultural operations, which help to reduce production costs.
- the optimal outflow rate is 6-8 l/ha, which has been confirmed by the company's extensive testing;
- droplet size - 130-150 microns, which is well attached to the plant, penetrating into the leaf mass, without dripping;
- flight height of 5 m with a working width of 8 m ensures uniform and effective spraying of the liquid solution, without gaps and streaks;
- the recommended flight speed is no more than 8 m/s;
- wind speed in the range of 3-5 m/s.
Currently, the company's productivity potential per day is 100 hectares, which allows it to service the fields of large agricultural holdings, strengthen the country's food security in general and promote increased crop exports.
Currently, the company's productivity potential per day is 100 hectares, which allows it to service the fields of large agricultural holdings, strengthen the country's food security in general and promote increased crop exports.
Analyzing the relevance and efficiency of agrodrones, the expert noted that: “The insufficient effect of agricultural operations by drones is a consequence of the lack of competence of the drone operator itself.” That is why the company is actively engaged in its own and partner piloting training, providing Ukrainian farmers not only with quality services, but also with qualified specialists for the Ukrainian market.
DroneUA is grateful to the invited experts and participants of the online webinar for the active discussion and presentation of relevant experience of leading companies. Already today, the presented research and proposed approaches are modernizing the Ukrainian agricultural sector, allowing farmers not only to maintain high quality products but also to significantly reduce operating costs, which is especially important in the face of growing global challenges and competition in the oilseeds market.
