The last agricultural season in Ukraine was marked by extreme weather conditions, which significantly affected the water regime of soils and the prospects for obtaining future harvests.

The summer-autumn period of last year was dry, and the mild winter of 2024-2025 did not replenish sufficient moisture reserves in the soil. In February, a sharp cooling with minimal snow cover caused the arable layer of soil to freeze, and the early March thaw and rapid increase in temperatures exacerbate the moisture deficit, which threatens both winter and spring crops. In such critical soil and climatic conditions of the early spring period, the effectiveness and feasibility of using traditional mineral granular/fertilizer fertilizers for sowing spring crops is significantly reduced.

The lack of sufficient moisture slows down their timely dissolution of the granules and the transfer of plant-available nutrients into the soil solution, and elevated temperatures cause the topsoil to dry out, where they remain inaccessible. This leads to significant financial costs without the expected agronomic efficiency: the delayed release of nutrients leads to a lack of starting nutrition, which critically affects the intensity of starting growth and development of spring crops. As a result, even after precipitation, nutrient absorption will occur with a significant delay and will not meet the needs of crops at key stages of organogenesis.

Taking into account the above, PE “VKF “IMPTORGSERVIS” has developed and implemented scientifically based approaches to optimizing crop cultivation technologies, in particular in areas with insufficient soil moisture. The proposed solutions contribute to increasing the efficiency of water resource use, preserving soil fertility and stabilizing yields in conditions of climate change and provide significantly higher profitability compared to the traditional use of granular fertilizers.

To ensure high availability of nutrients in the early stages of growth and development of spring crops, a promising and rational solution is to use the highly concentrated organo-mineral fertilizer BS “VitaStar PK+S” in combination with the soil microflora biostimulator BS “Soloactive”. Such nutrition technology increases the efficiency of nutrient absorption in arid conditions, promotes the formation of a powerful root system and optimizes the generative potential of plants. The complex action of BS "VitaStar PK+S" + BS "Soloactive" ensures, due to the organic component, the availability of nutrients at the initial stages of development and has a prolonged effect - the action of the liquid mineral part, which supports the culture at subsequent stages.

When using BS "VitaStar PK+S" in combination with the soil microflora activator BS "Soloactive", a significant increase in the number of nitrogen-fixing and phosphate-mobilizing soil microorganisms is observed, which is an important factor in soil fertility.

These two ecologically functional groups of microorganisms play a significant role in providing agricultural plants with available forms of nitrogen and phosphorus, respectively, transforming complex forms of nitrogen and phosphorus into those optimal for plant assimilation.

The number of nitrogen fixers increases on average by 3 orders of magnitude and amounts to 10 million (CFU / 1 g of ASG). The number of phosphate mobilizers in the soil increases by 2 orders of magnitude and averages 100 thousand (CFU / 1 g of ASG).

The phosphorus component of the tank mixture is characterized by unique physicochemical properties, which prevents its binding to Ca2+ and Mg2+ cations in the soil, ensuring a high absorption coefficient by plants. Fast and available phosphorus plays a key role in energy metabolism, activating the synthesis of nucleic acids and ATP, which stimulates the development and establishment of generative organs. Potassium - regulates osmotic balance, increases plant resistance to abiotic factors, in particular drought, and optimizes the transport of assimilates.

Many years of research by scientific institutions have confirmed that the use of BS "VitaStar RK+S" at a dose of 3 kg/ha in combination with BS "Soloactive" at a dose of 0.5 l/ha is a highly effective alternative to traditional phosphorus-potassium fertilizer and has an equivalent active ingredient P15, but with higher availability and prolonged action.

Optimal recommended schemes and rates of application for sowing spring crops:

  • Sunflower: BS "VitaStar RK+S" (3 kg/ha) + BS "Soloactive" (0.5 l/ha) + urea (30 kg/ha);
  • Corn: BS "VitaStar RK+S" (3 kg/ha) + BS "Soloactive" (0.5 l/ha) + KAS-32 (100-150 l/ha);
  • Soybean: BS "VitaStar RK+S" (1.5 kg/ha) + BS "Soloactive" (0.5 l/ha).

MANDATORY preparation of the mother liquor at the rate of 1 kg of BS "VitaStar RK+S" dissolved in 40 l of water per crop.

Thus, in difficult soil and climatic conditions of the early spring period, the use of BS "VitaStar RK+S" in combination with BS "Soloactive" is a technologically sound solution for the initial feeding of spring crops, and, in turn, this allows farmers to minimize the risks associated with moisture deficiency and ensure the stability of the future harvest in conditions of a changing climate.