The optimum period for sowing wheat is running out, experts advise farmers to sow as much as possible by the end of October. Farmers from Middle Banat say that this autumn they will reduce the area under wheat and will save on raw materials, because they lack the money to implement full agricultural practices.
In the agricultural household of Borislav Čizmaš from Botoš, preparations for sowing wheat are underway. From year to year, he says, this most important autumn job is getting harder and harder to complete, because producers do not make a profit from their products, so they lack money for quality sowing.
“This year, we will sow between 20 and 25 percent less wheat than last year and we will try to sow as much as possible with wheat that is ours, because we see that the state will not fulfill what it promised to give for certified seeds. A kilogram of declared seed is 80 dinars, and our goods are around 20 dinars. We don’t have money for bigger investments,” explains Borislav Čizmaš, a farmer from Botoš.
And the producers with whom he is in contact announce a decrease in the area under wheat.
“Many are switching to an alternative, sowing barley because it requires less fertilizer, chemicals, and less investment. We did three treatments against insects on wheat last year, and one is enough for barley. Barley does not have Fusarium disease, so it does not need to be protected in the ear. “Some have also gone into alfalfa, some oilseed rape”, adds Čizmaš.
He reminds that the price of certified seeds increased when the state announced that it would provide subsidies, and they have not yet reached the farmers. Before autumn, many hoped to help so that the sowing could be done properly.
“Wheat should be a national interest, because it is food for people, but, unfortunately, it is not. Year after year, sowing is getting more and more expensive, and the producers are left to their own devices,” states Čizmaš.
Ideal conditions for sowing
In the Agricultural Expert Service of Zrenjanin, they say that wheat sowing in this region started a few days ago and that the conditions for it are ideal. After a dry summer, between 70 and 100 liters of rain per square meter fell during September, which soaked not only the seedbed, but also the deeper layers of the soil. In addition, air temperatures are average for this time of year.
They remind producers that before sowing, it is necessary to introduce a sufficient amount of basic fertilizer into the soil.
“Wheat requires a lot of food in the autumn period. In recent years, we have had slightly warmer autumns, we are entering the winter period with higher temperatures, wheat grows and consumes food. Basic fertilizer before sowing is crucial and you should not skimp on it,” explains Zorica Rajačić from PSS Zrenjanin.
When enough fertilizers are given in the fall, producers can be sure that the wheat will not be hungry, even if the feeding is a little later.
“Previously, we had more precipitation and snow in January and February, and the supplement we gave was available to the plants faster. In recent years, we have seen that there can be problems with the lack of precipitation at that time, so it can happen that wheat cannot use the supplement immediately when it needs it, at the end of February or the beginning of March, when the vegetation starts,” he says.
During sowing, it is very important to pay attention to the sowing rate, i.e. on the amount of seeds to be sown per hectare, as well as on the sowing depth.
“It is most ideal for the sowing depth to be three to five centimeters. That’s when the wheat grows best and is well protected from frost and drought,” Rajačić points out.
Problems with seed wheat
Experts explain that the time of sowing is a key factor that affects the yield, so everyone advises to sow as large areas as possible by the end of October. They state that at least half of this year’s areas will be sown with wheat “from the attic” and not only because the producers do not have enough money to purchase certified seeds.
“According to the data I obtained, a maximum of 280,000 hectares will be sown with declared seeds. This is due to the fact that seed production was neglected for many years and production was not organized. “Announced subsidies for declared seeds will probably encourage seed organizations to produce larger quantities,” says Prof. Dr. Miroslav Malešević, expert in small grains.
“Serbia needs about 120,000, 130,000 tons of seed wheat to sow 600,000 hectares, and only about 70,000 tons were produced this year, and this is a problem for which there is currently no solution. “Now the authorities should be engaged and in this year’s sowing, sufficient amounts of seed wheat should be provided for all those who will express their desire to sow wheat next year”, he explains.
How the attic helps
Using seeds “from the attic”, he adds, does not necessarily mean a drastically lower harvest yield, but carries a number of other uncertainties.
“If properly disinfected and processed, own seeds can reduce the yield by about 5 percent. More will be lost with late sowing and poor quality sowing. It is much more likely that those seeds “from the attic” will not be well protected from diseases, so more means of protection will be used, which significantly increases the cost of production,” says Malešević, noting that diseases and pests should be expected this autumn.
“Since the wheat and barley will sprout quickly, aphids that transmit viruses may appear, and the migration of mice from the corn fields to the young sown crops is underway, so care will have to be taken regarding that,” Malešević adds.
According to the data of the Serbian Grain Association, about 600,000 hectares should be sown with wheat this year, which would be 25,000 hectares less than last year.
“I am in favor of planting a little more wheat, at least 650,000 hectares, because wheat is a universal food. Both humans and animals can eat it. It can be stored and wait for a moment to get a better price. It has been shown that wheat and barley are more resistant to climate change”, says the interlocutor for RTS.
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Source: RTS
Source: energetskiportal.rs
