Scientific and practical seminar "POTATO GROWING: SOWING, TECHNIQUES AND TECHNOLOGIES" - modern solutions for potato growing in Ukraine!

On 8 July 2025, a large-scale scientific and practical seminar on advanced potato growing technologies was held at Biotech LTD (Horodyshche, Kyiv region). The event brought together scientists, farmers, machinery manufacturers and practitioners who work daily to develop Ukrainian potato growing.
Organisers of the seminar: Biotech LTD; Dushechkin Department of Agrochemistry and Quality of Crop Production of the National University of Life Sciences of Ukraine; Institute of Mechanics and Automation of the APV; Institute of Potato Growing of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine;

The event was opened by Anatolii Bykin, Academician of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, Head of Biotech LTD, who emphasised the key goal of the seminar - to combine science, production and practice by demonstrating the full cycle of potato growing - from test tube to marketable products.
Valerii Adamchuk, Director of the Institute of Mechanics and Automation of the APA, Academician of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences, noted that potatoes are not only a traditional crop but also a strategic resource. Today, it is crucial to ensure its competitive cultivation, taking into account climate challenges, automation and biological efficiency. Such seminars are an example of how science should work not in the classroom but in the field - next to the farmer.
In his opening remarks, Mykola Furdyga, Director of the Institute of Potato Growing at the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, stressed that Biotech LTD is the only company in Ukraine that systematically grows domestic elite seeds. More than 10 varieties of Ukrainian breeding, adapted to the conditions of different regions, are grown in the nurseries.

The Dushechkin Department of Agrochemistry and Quality of Crop Production presented modern solutions for soil, plant and fertiliser analysis.
The functional diagnostics laboratory "Agrovector" PF-014 allows you to carry out diagnostics autonomously, anywhere, including in the field, which is important for field crops in the open field, the number of elements under study is 14 (N, P, K, S, Ca, Mg, Cu, B, Zn, Mn, Fe, Mo, Co, J).
N- Tester™ is a portable device that helps to quickly and easily measure the level of nitrogen uptake by a crop to determine its exact requirements. This allows you to get quick and specific field recommendations that help determine the exact doses of application during the growing season. This, in turn, results in more accurate recommendations, increased profitability and minimised environmental impact.
The SC 900 pinetometer now includes a new tip that is suitable for uncultivated soils.
It connects to any GPS transmitter via RS-232 and allows for geo-referenced measurements. Records 579 measurements with the GPS/DGPS option. The software is downloadable and configurable. Compatible with the online mapping application SpecMaps.
Biotech LTD also presented a line of microfertilisers of its own production, jointly developed by the Dushechkin Department of Agrochemistry and Quality of Crop Production of the National University of Life Sciences of Ukraine for various crops: Biozern - 15, Biokorn - 15, Bioson - 15, Biokart -20, Biolegumin - 22, Bulbostim, etc.

Location 1: "Potato seed production: from in-vitro to elite"
Tatiana Bykina and Anna Korob conducted an extremely interesting tour of the modern microbiological laboratory, showed the full cycle of microtuber production and the features of biotechnological cultivation of healthy planting material.

Location 2: "Technology in potato growing"
Modern tillage machines, machinery for sowing, fertilising and harvesting potatoes with the function of yield mapping were presented.
A potato harvester: Grimme SF 150-60, ROPA Keiler 2
Combine harvester for harvesting grain: John Deere S760, reaper: John Deere 625F
Sprayer: Tecnoma Laser
Potato planters: spoon Grimme GL 34, belt Grimme GL 44T
Seeders: Challenger 9100, Amazone Primera DMC 9000-2C
Cultivators: HORSCH Tiger 4 MT, Pelipper. Traction is provided by tractors: John Deere 6175M(2), John Deere 8300, Fendt 936 Vario, Steyr CVT 6195, Valtra

At the field site, Mykola Furdyga presented the varietal characteristics of promising domestic varieties and the technological features of their cultivation.

Location 3: "Technologies for growing commercial potatoes using drip irrigation and fertigation"
Oleg Bykin demonstrated a highly efficient irrigation system with a fertigation unit and a filtration station, and spoke about the benefits of an integrated approach to nutrition and water supply.
A special moment of the seminar was the tasting of dishes made from Ukrainian potato varieties, during which participants were able to compare the taste of different samples and share their impressions.
All participants were divided into groups with colourful names of Ukrainian varieties - Slovianka, Skarbnychka, Tiras - which added an informal atmosphere and team spirit to the event.
Postgraduate students of the Dushechkin Department of Agrochemistry and Quality of Crop Production of the National University of Life Sciences of Ukraine presented their experiments conducted on the farm's premises, and also conducted research on initiative topics
The event ended with a summary of the results, active discussion of the knowledge gained, exchange of contacts and plans to implement the solutions presented in practice.

The seminar has become a real platform for a lively dialogue between science and industry - exactly the kind of events that modern Ukrainian agricultural production needs!

Larysa Semenko, Oleh Hryshchenko,
Associate Professors of the Department of Agrochemistry
and Quality of Crop Production named after A.I. Dushechkin