Gorgeous interview. It's all about zero processing: how it's done; what crop rotation and why he uses; about not thinking about instant results; that humus has increased by 0.47% over 5 years; that this is the most profitable and soil-saving method; that having bought a swamp, I did not regret for a second, because there should be a small piece of wild nature per 1000 hectares of cultivated land, from where all microorganisms multiply; how farming can be very profitable for the farmer and respectful of nature.
Read on and enjoy. Although the interview is long, it is worth it.
Mikhail VOYTOVIK head of a farm (Kiev region, Ukraine) in an interview with Mikhail Draganchuk for the site: No-till.ru
Mikhail Viktorovich Voytovik, Candidate of Agricultural Sciences, runs one of the smallest farms in the Belotserkovsky district of the Kiev region.
But this is the only farm that gave an answer to the rhetorical question: "What kind of land will remain for our grandchildren." Mikhail Voitovik, with all his activities, strives to ensure that the law of "expanded reproduction of soil fertility" works on his lands.
Mikhail Voitovik suggested that we start our acquaintance with his farm from the field. It is there that the main object of his interest and the object of his pride is the soil.
“We just harvested wheat in this field, which we had very good this year, gave 60 c / ha. And literally a month and a week passed after we sowed buckwheat.
You see the state of buckwheat. Now it is the 9th stage of buckwheat organogenesis and no one would think that it was sown on stubble. But the question is not even that I need buckwheat, but the question is that the earth should be constantly covered with a blanket or greenery. This is probably the most important thing we are striving for. And our ultimate goal is to launch the law of expanded reproduction of soil fertility.
The soil was created long ago, but we are bad people. We only harm this land, and do not want to go to meet it. At least understand and work according to its laws.
In principle, I managed to launch this law. We have not plowed for more than 15 years, before that we worked with the minimum technology. And for the eighth year now, our farm has been working purely according to the No-till technology.
I have 3 fields, a total of 300 hectares. Two soybean fields and one wheat field. And where there is wheat, we also sow an intermediate crop - buckwheat. This is our second harvest. And thus, we enrich the field where wheat grew with buckwheat straw for greater organic saturation of the crop rotation.
- What results have you achieved?
- The greatest result that I and my team (TOV "Mriya") have achieved is that in five years we have refuted the opinion of scientists who all fought at round tables and said that there is no technology that reproduces soil fertility. That is, if our livestock production decreases, then we are finished, khan.
But it turns out not at all, but there is a completely different technology that gave the answer. And in five years we managed to increase the% of humus by 0.47%. This is a very large indicator of who delves into and understands what the conversation is about. The soil is always covered, the earth is always covered with a blanket and there is no wind or water erosion.
We got a good harvest in this field. Over the past 20 years, there has not been such a grain harvest in our region. I remember that only in 1992, when I was still a young agronomist, my wheat gave 60 c / ha.
In 2014, we sowed 137 hectares of wheat and the yield was, depending on the varieties (we have domestic varieties), 58-65 c / ha. Grade 2 wheat, just gorgeous. It can be seen from the straw, there is a lot of it.
- Where does organic matter come from in the field?
If the wheat yield is 6 t / ha, then this is, respectively, 6 or 7 t of straw. Plus, sowing buckwheat, we get another 3 tons of buckwheat straw, which differs from wheat in its composition, i.e. a set of micro and macro elements.
And that's all, when mixed, it turns out 9 tons of straw per hectare. If we multiply by 3 or 4 - one ton of straw is equal to 3-4 tons of organic matter, i.e. organic fertilizers. 9 multiplied by 4 - this will be 36 tons of evenly applied organic fertilizer. No entry costs. And plus evenly, because we know how organic fertilizers are applied. There the car was emptied, bulldozed - there is, there is nothing there.
As you can see, the buckwheat crops are in very good condition. Stage 9 of organogenesis - full flowering. And this is just 5 weeks. A very gorgeous result.
Interestingly, this year, after wheat, no herbicide was applied to remove weeds, because the mass of straw is large and the soil is practically covered. We sowed immediately.
- How did you come up with the idea to sow buckwheat as a re-crop? This is a rather unconventional approach.
- I read in the literature that buckwheat is a wonderful green manure. It grows rapidly and quickly gains vegetative mass. In addition, it absorbs nutrients from the soil better than other crops. Twice as strong as wheat, for example.
On buckwheat buds are already tied.
I am always experimenting. Used to sow mustard as a siderat. In this field, the mustard was my height. And everyone asked what I was going to do with it - after all, I had to sow. Therefore, I made a special roller with which I rolled it.
Over the winter, she dried up, shaken up. In the spring, the Semeato seeder went through, rubbed it and only covered the ground.
But then I realized that after mustard, the soil is tougher, and after buckwheat, the soil is like fluff. I don’t even know what it’s connected with.
Maybe this is heaven on earth? Instead of blackness - nectar and bees, and this connection with space.
Buckwheat root is much weaker than that of any other culture and how does it loosen? With a penetrometer, when you check the soil after buckwheat - it is much softer.
Therefore, I switched to buckwheat. First, I like it.
Well, in general, you know, probably the main thing is this. I really respect my mother, who recently died. I certainly took it very hard. She worked for me all her life on beets. And she said such words, I remember them very well: “I love the field so much,” she was a simple person who loved to weed, we also knew this work from childhood, “but when the field is already plowed, it becomes black, my soul is hard, I I can’t look at the field ”.
It was so hard for her. And, probably, it passed on to me. Instead of black earth, I just made heaven on earth, where buckwheat blooms, and there is no that blackness, there is no that plowing. This is the foundation.
- Maybe the root of your results today is your mother's desire?
- Of course, I understand that, I thank her very much. But besides desire, this is how wonderful it is for the surrounding world. Now the sun will rise, bees will fly in and there will be just paradise. The smell of buckwheat is a heavenly smell, here the bee hums - the oldest animal on the globe. And then there should have been just black earth.
- How do you remove buckwheat?
- From time immemorial, buckwheat was mowed into rolls, and then threshed. But late buckwheat, if mowed into a swath at the end of October, then when it can dry out, that swath? Therefore, no one mows it.
You can work, if necessary, with a desiccant. But ideally there is a natural desiccant - the first frost and buckwheat instantly wilted. Let's wait a week and grind. This is ideal, especially without chemistry. This buckwheat actually has no mineral fertilizers, no pesticides, nothing, it's just sowing and that's it. This is an ideal culture even for treatment, because there are no chemical additives here - a dietary product.
- What yield of buckwheat do you get?
- For four years that I have been sowing buckwheat, it gives 10-11 c / ha. This is fine considering that this is the second harvest. Since spring, people give 7-12 c / ha. When they say that they get 20-22 c / ha buckwheat, then there are half nonsense. And honest - this is up to 15 c / ha.
- And the price of buckwheat is more interesting?
- The question is not that I want to grow some kind of crop there, but my question is completely different. Money is a consequence of your creations. I never expect in advance that I will get something there.
The economic costs have been reduced a little, there is an opportunity to change the philosophy - you see that the harvester threshes and the seeder immediately sows, and earlier the harvester from the field - discs into the furrow.
And they do it, and more than once. I have neighbors, I watched last year, after harvesting sunflower - they discarded it once, the carrion went - they discarded it again, then plowed, then Europack was allowed to go. This is all in the fall - 4 tillage. Spring has come - again cultivation, sowing soybeans, rolling. A total of 7 operations.
And my field - buckwheat was harvested and soybeans were sown in the spring. I only did two operations. And the most interesting thing is that my result is even better than theirs.
- And they do not see it? Not asking questions?
People who see my fields ask themselves the question: "Do I need to plow?" I'm sure they are asking themselves this question after seeing what is growing there. These are all things that make others think.
I'm sure people will come to this, but we have a very difficult time rocking it.
The main argument, probably, is to buy an expensive seeder to switch to No-till. And it costs a lot a little, but 90 thousand dollars. For example, if Semeato buy a new one. And somewhere they are confused.
Although they bought, for example, a new Lamborghini tractor, a reversible plow. Probably, it would be better to buy this thing. You see, grandfather's stereotypes do not give them. Philosophy of man.
I know people who bought seeders, spent money, but the technology does not go. We also don't have technology in our region. Why? Because they are comparing. For example, he plowed and sowed, there he has a larger crop this year, and here it is smaller. But before a good harvest I have to go, I am in my eighth year - I go to him. Although, starting, I compare with the environment, I have never had a smaller harvest.
And if, for example, there can be a smaller harvest for soybeans, I know what needs to be done - it is necessary to introduce one more crop, so that there are not two soybean fields, but one. But this option suits me, because:
firstly, soybeans are an excellent precursor and a good crop for the soil;
secondly, the soybean pricing policy is excellent. It suits me.
It would be possible to get 100 centners of corn per hectare, but it must be transferred, then this water should be dried, and - wait for the price. It's Complicated. And everything is simple for soybeans, there are much fewer problems per hectare. For example, this year the price of soybeans reached UAH 7,000. What problems? Even if I harvest 2 tons of soybeans per hectare, it will yield more than any other crop.
- More than 100 centners / ha of corn?
Yes, there is more work on corn and less benefits. You need to count these things. Not everyone counts everything yet. If you count everything down to a gram, then you are already throwing on the scales, which is more profitable for you, plus what remains after corn for the future. Therefore, I have the perfect crop rotation from all directions - two soybean fields and a wheat field. I think there is no better one yet. And buckwheat as an addition is for the soul.
- What is the machinery for sowing on your farm?
- We have a Brazilian Semeato seeder, this year we bought another seeder - Kinze. I am very pleased with it - this year we sowed soybeans and buckwheat with a row spacing of 35 cm. And you see, in our fifth week the rows of buckwheat are already closing.
This is a precision seeder and a mechanical one. Very easy to use, wider grip and less bulky. The result of the work is excellent, I am very satisfied.
Pay attention to how this seeder is stored here. There was not enough space under the canopy - they made a cover to protect it from the sun and precipitation. And they closed not only the working part, but even the drawbar.
Semeato is also an excellent seeder, I have sown with it for 7 years. I have only positive feedback about it, but this is a process of further improvement, because I liked Kinze better - I see that it is the future.
- What did you like?
- Uniformity of sowing. Soy occupies 2/3 of my crop rotation. In order to restore soil fertility, and this is my goal, you need to saturate the crop rotation with legumes.
- Why?
- Because the organic matter of legumes has an approximate carbon to nitrogen ratio as a soil complex. And it breaks down faster and quickly saturates the soil complex, that is, all these humic acids and the like are reproduced. Therefore, such a course was taken, and I think it is very correct.
Everyone asks me - why is there so much soybeans? I explain why. Of course, there are difficulties, because if the crop rotation is saturated, monoculture still has its drawbacks. But, given that today we have a lot of pesticides of various kinds, there is an opportunity to work without harming the earth.
We sow soybeans with a row spacing of 35 cm. Previously, Semeato was sown at 17cm. I didn’t like some points. Here you can see - the evenness of the seeding in the row. 600 thousand / ha
To be perfect, you need to calibrate the soybeans. We need to prepare for this.
Here they sowed 90-100 kg / ha, with that seeder they sowed at least 130 kg, but the sowing quality is not the same, because it throws 2-3 seeds. And this is not necessary, especially for soybeans.
At the first stages, the yield of soybeans was 11-14 c / ha. Now 25-35 c / ha, depending on the variety, I have many varieties.
Analyzed and sowed the next year. If the variety produced less than 12, I did not sow it anymore. Varieties are very important. For example, the Canadian variety Madison, always, as much as I sow it, gives a wonderful harvest. The Nye variety, also Canadian, gives a lot of organic matter, which is important to me, and the harvest is not bad.
But varieties react to the peculiarities of each year, so it is impossible to sow one variety. I have 6 of them and each reacts differently in different years.
I sow buckwheat 1 million per hectare, too, with a row spacing of 35 cm.
- Soybeans for soybeans give a larger yield in the second year?
- Not. Soybeans give a greater yield after wheat. Still, there is an ideal crop rotation. Especially for No-till. Ideally, the wider the crop rotation, the better. But, I take into account my own characteristics, here are the economic approaches. And it is also important what goal to pursue.
My main goal, of course, is the reproduction of soil fertility, and the second is material, because I have to tie ends to ends.
And in order to propagandize - it must produce results. And the result is so wonderful that the desire to sow sunflower disappears. That is why, for some reason, half of the country has returned to the sunflower and everyone lives one day, they think that this is a panacea. This is the wrong way. Both for Ukraine and for the people. They just don't understand why.
And on the example of my farm, one can understand that there are other ways of development for both Ukraine and farming as such. I really do not like that farmers complain that they are poor and have nothing to work for. I refute this. In our area, and maybe in the Kiev region, I alone work on no-till. Many are trying. They will try for a year or two, then they come back and say: “And for what? It needs to be turned around. "
There is not even an understanding that already intervening there - you are breaking natural laws. And the more you refrain from this interference, the better.
For example, in this field, the technique was passed only 6 times in two years.
We sowed wheat, twice the sprayer went through and went through the harvester. A tractor with a seeder drove right behind the combine and sowed. These are all the interventions that took place in this field.
- Well, what about the result?
- If wheat gave me 60 c / ha, I think this is an excellent result for our region. Yes, there is room for growth and we have a tendency for this, because we started with 35, 40, 43, 49, 55, 60 c / ha. That is, we have a tendency - every year we get more results with lower costs.
The earth begins to give. There is a process of splitting organic matter and its own laws work. This wet year is chic and one of the best years I remember. But the previous years we had heavy moisture, so we need to compare with something. Belotserkovsky district is the flagship of the Kiev region. Over the past 2-3 years, I have been in the top five in terms of winter wheat yield. This is an indicator.
It is also necessary to take into account the cost part. The prime cost of wheat for me this year was 900 UAH / t. I am selling it now for 2300 UAH, that is, the economy suggests that this is a profitable culture and needs to be dealt with. A farmer can be successful, you just need to master technology and knowledge. You still need to learn. Although I am a candidate of sciences, I am now lecturing at the university, but you see, my philosophy has completely changed in relation to tillage. People often come to me from universities, they ask me to share their knowledge.
What is still taught in agricultural universities is already outdated, it needs to be discarded, you need to go a completely different path.
This is not new, it is well forgotten old. I am emphasizing this very much, because now they say that this is a Brazilian technology, an American one. This is absolutely not the case. This is our Ukrainian one - even Ivan Evgenievich Ovsinsky, a hundred years ago, introduced such a technology in Podillya, where I come from.
Only he did not have such opportunities. Now technology allows you to do all this. Just super tech. Why cut, chop up the holy ground, if you take a seeder, and sowing gives more results. If it were not for him, then one could argue. But the result is there.
Therefore, I think that we are simply not finalizing, we need to grab onto something new, implement and get a result. It is clear that the future belongs to agriculture and Ukraine will be saved only by agriculture. This is our strong point - we must feed the world and live like in paradise.
And nature has thought so that if we approach correctly, then, no matter how much we take, it will give us more. But with the right approach. You can lose this resource, or you can expand, reproduce.
This should be the goal of a person. He must create, create, but not be mischievous and take away only, live one day.
- What is your greatest achievement?
- My greatest achievement is the land that will go to my grandchildren. I took worse than I give.
And everyone should strive for this. But very little is said about this. And few people set such a goal, they think more about today, about survival. But this is wrong - you can not survive, but live beautifully.
I give an example, you see - I drive a beautiful car, we will go to the farm and you will see that I have super-world equipment - if a tractor, then this is John Deere, if a seeder, then this is Semeato or Kinze, a sprayer - Amazone, a harvester - This is Claas, the dryer is Italian Pedrotti. But I have 300 hectares of land. Imagine this technique and how many hectares of land.
And with this approach, the economy allows you to choose the best technology. We can afford to buy it. At the same time, I do not use loans at all and I have the opportunity to buy this equipment.
This year I bought two expensive things. The seeder costs 72 thousand dollars and my car costs 55 thousand. I can afford it without loans. This suggests that these are not just my words, where I tell so beautifully, because everyone likes it. And these are real things that can be seen.
He took all the equipment for himself, since there was not much land. But people stayed with me and I do not have to earn all the money, I want people to earn too. They are happy, I am also glad - I have a team.
- How did you come to such results?
- Neighboring lands are practically my former farm, which was once large.
I was building a church, inspiration came to me. I built it at my own expense. Now I have two farms - a farm of 30 hectares and a 300 hectare in TOV "Mriya". What I earned from farming, I invested in the church. And the founders of the farm, since everyone was growing out of their pants, decided to divide the land. The period when I was building the church passed. I built a church, but my economy collapsed.
I asked God: "Well, let me at least finish the church." The rest did not interest me.
When the division processes took place, as a result, in our village of Bloshintsy, two successful enterprises were formed - I have a small one - 300 hectares and the second larger one - more than 600 hectares.
And God sent me a mind - I introduced technology. I once had a lot of land. I was a young leader - I had 700 employees. Now I have 10 workers and 300 hectares of land, but the achievements are completely different. Now recognition has come, they know about my technology at the level of Ukraine.
But the point is different - when you launch a positive thought, it is sure to be reproduced somewhere. You shouldn't think that you are the smartest. You know, you need to understand that you are a part of this nature. If you can understand nature, she will thank you a hundredfold. I understood this on the example of the church.
As they say, if God gave you the opportunity to build oit, then technology is the gratitude of God for my labors.
I’m not saying that I’m so wise, but simply trying to understand nature. How do I manage it? Not to fight with her, but to coexist and be friends.
And the results that come are probably not accidental. We give to the soil, and the soil gives us feedback.
I have a spiritual approach to everything and on this basis and the introduction of this technology. That is why it works. I begin to connect and understand. For example, which for me was confirmation that I was on the right track. Believe it or not, these are very simple things. Once a delegation of scientists from 7 European countries came to me. They studied biodiversity in Ukraine, took soil samples to determine how many spiders and worms are there per square meter. Then they brought me the results. We took 8 farms in the Kiev region for comparison. Karapyshi - 4 worms per square meter, Matyushi - 8, Yablunivka - 12, Bloshintsy, i.e. our farm - 167. So they feel comfortable there. They ask me why there are no “saucers” on the field after the rains. And what kind of "saucers" can be if there are 167 holes per square meter. And how much organic matter.
In order to reproduce humus, very simple things are needed, our younger brothers need to multiply and develop. I always give an example - when you stand on the field, you stand on the roof of another world, which is 5, 6 or 7 times larger than the overground one. Imagine what's going on there.
In the fields, the process of reproduction of these microorganisms has already begun. By and large, on a hectare there should be, if an ideal structure, ideal conditions, then 25 tons of living organisms. Imagine what a mass it is!
In other fields, where the technology does not work, maybe 2 tons, 3 tons. I don’t have 25 yet, but I think that there are already 10-12 tons. It's so intuitive. We have no one to check this, but if there are 167 worms per square meter, then this is already an indicator. And accordingly, other microorganisms multiply, only we cannot count them. But if there should be 25 tons of them, then, like any living creature, they should have something. To reproduce, you need to assimilate something. For microorganisms, this should be 1 in 10. If there are 25 tons of them, then 250 tons of residues should be in the field so that they digest and multiply.
And if we have harvested the crop, burned the stubble - where will microorganisms and our smaller brothers come from? And how will they reproduce?
That's the whole philosophy of development.
Now there is straw on the field, but next year look, you will see that it will almost be gone, it is all mineralized. Biota works.
The first years, when I was just introducing the technology, the straw lay for 3 years. There were few microorganisms. Nowadays, straw is processed much more and faster.
Now we will go to look at soybeans, it is not at all clear that there was some kind of predecessor, there is already black earth, only individual straws.
- We usually observe the problem with straw processing where there is soil cultivation, even minimal. And, having gone to zero, we want it to remain on the surface as long as possible, but it is very quickly processed by microorganisms.
- Look, buckwheat has sprung up, covered the soil. There is already a microclimate, after the rain it is humid and comfortable. If there was no rain, then soil moisture would also be better retained there.
These things work, and you don't need some kind of high science. There are basic things that work. Common sense.
Every morning I stop by for buckwheat, when it is warm there are a lot of bees.
- What was the impetus for the transition to No-till?
- Reading the press, reading Ovsinsky, I started asking myself questions.
At that time it was very difficult - you come to work and think about how to refuel the tractor.
I started looking. Before that, I lived in the old-fashioned way - like everyone else, so do I. The grandfathers plowed, and I plowed this holy land. He resisted, but did not make ends meet.
And then I read that you can sow and not chop the land, then why do that.
In 2007 I went to Kirovograd in Agromir. I wanted to look not so much at the drill itself as at the crops it had sown. What did I see?
At the edge of the field, where the seeder drove out and sowed during sowing, where there is really untouched land, ideal seedlings. It struck me so much, and I realized that I was giving up everything, looking for funds, buying a seeder. Why do unnecessary work needs to be done?
I bought a seeder and started sowing.
When I started sowing, I saw that the consumption of diesel fuel was 5 l / ha, not 18. I realized that I was not afraid of what the price of diesel fuel would be.
Now the season is up to 20 l / ha.
If you don’t feel sorry for economics, if you don’t feel sorry for your fuel costs, but you must feel sorry for Mother Nature, because to burn 20 liters on a hectare and to burn 90 liters of diesel fuel. How much smoke goes into the air, with that extra. There is another way, it has already been found. For example, I found and share and I don't hide anything from anyone. Whoever comes to me, I am happy to share, because this is probably intended in nature - if you have achieved something positive, you must share, because you create, you create, you will not pinch.
I'm not saying that everyone can change. But there are most of the thoughtful people, they should us to come to this. Moreover, it is not necessary, where the farm is large, to transfer the entire land, if you are afraid. Translate 3 fields, for example. 300 or 400 hectares, or 500. You must see for yourself which is better.
But this does not come better at once. It is necessary to study, it is necessary to understand.
- How did you come up with these thoughts about the soil?
“I’m probably a person who feels life, maybe more subtle than others. I respond to all challenges. This sensation is given by God - to feel these things sharply. Maybe it's an inner voice. And the inner voice is God's voice. As a spiritual person, I understand that it is not I who create, but through me they create.
When I received farm land, I was persuaded to join the adjacent swamp of 5 hectares. I did not understand why I needed it, but I agreed. Attached him to me. What year do I pay taxes, although I do not receive anything from it. And I do not attach any importance to it. Although spiritually I rest there, because it is very beautiful there, in spring there are all the birds in this swamp, the beauty is indescribable. I appreciated that it is very beautiful, but have not yet betrayed any meaning to it.
I read the book of Morgun and there in one of the episodes it is written that in order for the cornfield not to wither, that is, there was development, it is necessary that at least 1000 hectares of land have a hectare or two of untouched nature, so that all these microorganisms can spread there to the rest territory.
I realized that God himself attached this place to me, which became a reserve, since no one pours garbage there, no one does anything, because they know that this is private property. But it performs a very large function on the surrounding fields.
I resisted, did not want to, but it turns out that it had a very deep meaning. Only after a certain period I realized this.
This is the answer to your question - how did you come to this? Intuitively, somewhere in the shower. As well as the construction of the church, and the beginning of the technology. Somewhere someone pushed me. So the healer grandmother Anna inspired me to build the church, who cured me of my illness. I built a church, but I lost the economy that I was then running. But I came to technology.
Every day adds something to me. When I come to work, I enjoy my work. I have 10 people who are happy and receive a stable salary. They have become imbued with this technology. If they used to grimace too, they thought that something was wrong with me. Now everyone knows that it is super, it is beautiful, and it works.
Economy current.
- This is my project for a grain warehouse, I built it myself.
There are different cultures, different varieties. For the agronomist, this is the ideal grain storage. Sometimes I provide storage services.
I have 3 varieties of wheat, 6 varieties of soybeans, How can you pour into one big barn. Many people buy seeds from me. If they buy from me, then I know what they are buying. It is guaranteed that they are not intermixed.
Wheat class 2. Only two treatments with a sprayer. If the firm is cool, they process 11-15 times. Yes, they may get 70, but if pesticides are poured there 15 times, then what kind of wheat is it, what kind of bread.
- I notice that when people start to master technology, the economy is usually in the center of attention, but over the years of work they pay more and more attention to the soil. Is this some kind of evolution going on?
- Of course, because money is a relative matter. I read a lot of spiritual literature and I liked one expression. One elder monk was asked the question: "How do you feel about money?"
Money should serve to achieve some kind of positive goal. Why am I getting results? Because I have a creative goal. I really have a main goal - to revive soil fertility. And somehow, by itself, the subconscious suggests that if you revive, then this earth will bestow you. You will not be offended if you go this way.
The path should not be the same as in all charters it is written that the company works for profit. This is a destructive path. The firm has to work for some kind of positive goal, otherwise by itself. But it is still not given to everyone - to philosophize in this direction. You have to grow up to this. Feel with your soul. Life teaches and life prompts everything. We must learn to listen. She tells everyone, but does everyone want to hear? Here's the trouble. People overwrite their thoughts with all sorts of material nonsense, that is, they do not hear what life prompts.
- Probably, if we talk about some philosophy of life, and not just about business, then the more you give, the more you get?
- I don't wait how much I get, I just work, and then it comes. And I can afford to buy something later. But I do not plan this in advance - I really want to buy there, etc. There is a possibility - I buy, no - I do not buy. It comes by itself.
Last year I bought an Italian dryer - 72 thousand euros. This is a serious investment. Why did I buy it?
I sowed buckwheat, the autumn was rainy. Collect collected, but where to attach it? Give it for free. Dried buckwheat costs 5 thousand, they take away 2 at a time - a mockery.
It gets somewhere. Eat ale Some kind of initial relationship, but the ideal relationship in our society is still far away. Everyone is taking advantage of the moment.
- Do you have a dream?
- I have a goal - I still want to achieve humus recovery, moreover, really 1 or 1.5%, in order to really see these steps. And as a consequence, for the soil to work as an answer to the fact that less chemistry is needed there will be poured into it and the result will be obtained. Although I see that this trend is going, it confirms that I am on the right path, I, too, somewhere doubted - maybe I'm doing the wrong thing, why others don't, maybe I'm going in the wrong direction. You see, such eternal philosophical approaches. Maybe this year was successful because it rained a lot. And on the next it will not happen, and there I encourage people to move.
The dean of the agricultural university tells me to write my doctoral dissertation. I said that if I reach the point where I add 1% humus, then I will sit down and write my dissertation with a pure soul. Honestly and without any financial issues, because I know how dissertations are being done now. I could make it myself in this way, but what is it for? The stupidity is real, it doesn't interest me at all.
I was invited to lecture at the Agricultural University. I replied to the dean - how am I going to lecture if the head of the department is against No-till, he is only for traditional tillage? Let me process it, try to convince him. If it works, then I will lecture.
Brought professor Ivan Dmitrievich in September, buckwheat was even more than now. He looked and immediately asked: - And how much fertilizer have you "scribbled" here?
I replied: -You will not believe it, but I didn't apply a gram of fertilizer for buckwheat.
He: - Yes, it cannot be.
Then we went to the soybeans, he uprooted the plant, and looks. And there the whole root is covered with nodules.
And he says:
- Mikhail Viktorovich, I am your adherent forever.
This is how I easily convinced him, and now he treats me with great respect.
Although I don't have much time, I can give lectures once or twice a week. It is also useful for my development, my intellect, communication. I have something to share and I have no problems with students. They do not affect my nervous system, as well as I do to them.
Very colorful office of LLC "Mriya"
- What would you like to wish those people who are just starting to master the technology?
- I would like to work more on the land, love the land, and she will certainly thank you. And we must not be afraid.
A negative result is also a result. You saw that this is not necessary and should never be afraid of it. Usually they are frightened that if they did not get the harvest, then this is all bad.
This is absolutely not the case. You just realized that it is not good to do that, you need to study it differently. This is an ongoing process of improvement. Yourself first. You need to read literature. Don't be afraid to experiment. There is someone who does this - go, talk, everyone will tell you there.
Just work and not be afraid, there is nothing hard here. There are certain difficulties, but a person is also in order to overcome these difficulties.
I think, as in any business, professionals should work on the earth, who first of all love the land, who care about it and who know how to earn money on this land.
I understand once, 5-10 years ago, that farmers complained about their rural fate. And now, I think that this is completely wrong - either it's none of your business, or pay more attention. Because now, even with all those political problems, there is an opportunity to work and earn money not only for oneself, but also to help others. Moreover, the future belongs to small farming, that is, within the boundaries of the settlement. I do not speak for 10-20 hectares, although this is also a very big deal.
Therefore, there is no need to disdain the land, to sell it. I believe that agriculture is the future.
The earth is the only renewable resource in the world, moreover it is expandable renewable. How many years nature has been creating these chernozems, these are millions of years. And she created them, and we managed to reduce the humus from 12% to 3% with our plow for 100 years. Even these institutes, universities, mediocre academics who sit here would ask themselves this question. Because these are parasites, because if we followed the right path, then fertility would not have dropped to such an extent.
There have been several round tables in recent years, our best scientists met and came to the conclusion that it is impossible to stop the process of soil degradation.
And I tell them - dear, perhaps! Change your philosophy, change your attitude. You cannot, leave room for others. Science must be based on practice. In my farm, these scientists have to take soil analysis, NPK analysis - that's what they have to do. And to me to prove that I am wrong. And I will prove that I am right. This is where the truth is born. And not to sit there without seeing what No-till is, what a No-till seeder is, they say - it's bad.
Last year I was at a conference in Kiev, where a Dnepropetrovsk professor reported on the results of an experiment, where he compared traditional, minimal and zero technology. According to him, the best harvest (+ 15%) according to traditional technology, in second place is Mini-till, and in third place is No-till. He voiced his conclusion that No-till is bullshit.
It threw me, I could not sit. I get up and ask him a modest question: - Dear Mr. Professor, tell me, how many years did you conduct this experiment? And he: - It's me this year.
“You’re a professor,” I say. “Do you think what you are talking about? We spent one year, did not even study what No-till is and already brand this technology.
I scared him so much that he was not there later. Then who spoke, told - I did experiments for 3 years, 4 years. The point is different - in order to make such statements, you need to substantiate them. Even I cannot substantiate anything, because I myself am still studying. And it is no coincidence that I say that every year is special, different. But I see a general trend:
1. the yield is added every year;
2. the economic component is growing, because it manifests itself in my affairs.
- What are you planning for this year?
- I do not plan anything, I live by inspiration.
