“Moisture preserved, fuel saved, and uniform emergence achieved!”

Domestic farmers are constantly seeking new ways to improve crop production technologies, and many of them succeed. Preserving soil moisture, reducing fuel consumption, decreasing the number of machinery units involved, and maximizing the efficient use of mineral fertilizers are key benchmarks that directly determine the profitability of crop production. In this context, the experience of LLC “Agroyuniversal,” located in the Zhytomyr region, is particularly interesting, as its management has achieved a number of agronomic and economic benefits thanks to the BEDNAR MATADOR MO seeder.

We spoke about this with the farm’s director, Ruslan Shevchenko — directly in the field during the sowing of sunflower using the BEDNAR MATADOR MO in a strip-till (full-surface seeding system).

— We cultivate about 2,000 hectares of land and try to follow scientifically based crop rotation. We grow winter wheat, corn, soybeans, and sunflower in roughly equal proportions. Farming is not easy, as we have rather poor sandy soil that lose moisture very quickly. In addition, rainfall has been decreasing year by year. When I started working here six years ago, the moisture situation was better, says Ruslan Stanislavovych.

It is not surprising that the farm has been gradually changing its approaches both to soil cultivation and to sowing and fertilization.

— Previously, conventional plowing was practiced here, and a few years ago we switched to deep soil loosening. However, traditional tillage approaches did not always provide the desired efficiency. For example, it was difficult for us to achieve uniform and even emergence of winter rapeseed and proper yields. The situation required qualitative changes in production technology, — explains the head of LLC “Agroyuniversal.”

After a detailed analysis of the situation, it was decided to test Strip-Till technology to carry out direct seeding into stubble with maximum moisture conservation.

— We studied different seeder options for a long time: we visited exhibitions, field days, and conducted trials on our own fields — and eventually narrowed it down to three potential options from well-known European manufacturers. It is no secret that every model has its advantages and disadvantages. And in the case of the BEDNAR MATADOR MO seeder, in our opinion, there were slightly more advantages and fewer disadvantages. And, as I said in advance, we were not mistaken, states Ruslan Shevchenko.

Last autumn, the 6-meter BEDNAR MATADOR MO seeder, combined with a 370-horsepower tractor, sowed approximately 400 hectares of winter rapeseed with 37 cm row spacing. Notably, seed germination reached 95–98%.

— You can see for yourself: the field has uniform and well-developed rapeseed emergence, while in many farms it either did not emerge at all or froze out. This is truly an excellent result! We are very satisfied, so now we will use it to sow sunflowers and try other crops. It is very convenient that different seeding coulters can be changed: with row spacing of 12.5, 37, and 70 cm. In fact, we have a universal seeding complex that allows us to work with different crops and row spacings, and each configuration performs its task efficiently, emphasizes the farmer.

It should be noted that the design of the BEDNAR MATADOR MO allows for preliminary deep soil cultivation (up to 35 cm) with the possibility of leaving a uniform layer of crop residues on the field. This enables high-quality loosening of the soil in the strip where the seed will be placed, applying fertilizer there, carefully packing everything, and at the same time using minimal moisture.

— This is where the advantages of this model become evident. All other competing seeders with a similar operating principal place starter fertilizer either to the side or in the row at a depth of up to 5 cm. But in our case, sandy soil dries out within just a few hours after the sun appears. You can place granules there, but they simply will not be absorbed. In contrast, the BEDNAR MATADOR MO places two different types of fertilizer at a depth of 12–14 cm. There, first, there is moisture, and secondly, the root system of the seedlings is naturally directed downward toward nutrients, which later contributes to higher plant resistance to stress factors. In this way, we eliminate the risk of the so-called “lazy root” phenomenon, which grows sideways and ends up in completely dry soil, — notes Ruslan Shevchenko.

The farmer highlights the exceptional precision and ease of adjusting seeding rates and starter fertilizer application in the BEDNAR MATADOR MO, as well as the ability to apply two types of fertilizers simultaneously.

— It may seem like a small thing, but you don’t have to crawl under the seeder with a bag, as with models from other manufacturers. Everything is conveniently placed on the side, which saves time and effort, says Ruslan Stanislavovych.

He also notes that when comparing it with a similar Strip-Till seeder from a well-known German manufacturer, it turned out that it is practically impossible to replace a wheel quickly there — the entire row would have to be replaced, which would take a lot of time and nerves. Whereas with the MATADOR MO, these and other similar issues are solved easily and conveniently.

The next factor that significantly influenced the choice of this model was the exceptional attention from both the Czech manufacturer and the official BEDNAR dealer, Titan Machinery, to the customer.

— To be honest, I was simply impressed by how attentively and objectively the Czechs treat the operation of our seeder. Instead of just saying how great everything is, they ask us to look for shortcomings and problems to continuously improve the design of this model. And everything is done very quickly, almost instantly. We needed anchors of different lengths, and any other company would have taken months to fulfill such a request. But at BEDNAR, only one week has passed since our request to receive the finished solution! I was pleasantly surprised, smiles Ruslan Shevchenko.

He also speaks positively about cooperation with the official service of Titan Machinery.

— They are always open, always available, and ready to come to us if there is an urgent need. Even if engineers cannot arrive immediately, they will provide consultation by phone and help solve the problem. It is truly pleasant to work with them, especially since, as we have already confirmed, BEDNAR MATADOR MO is a very reliable machine with a significant safety margin in all structural elements. Interestingly, BEDNAR is a company that has relatively recently started operating in Ukraine, but in terms of product quality and service, it is at least on par with the world’s most well-known manufacturers, — says the director of LLC “Agroyuniversal.”

This spring, having the BEDNAR MATADOR MO on the farm significantly improved the technology of spring crop sowing.

— Like many other agricultural companies, we were unable to harvest corn on time due to objective reasons and were forced to do it in March. Having such a powerful direct seeding complex opens new opportunities — there is no need for separate deep tillage, cultivation, or moisture loss and high fuel consumption. Everything can be done in one pass, which replaces three to four passes of conventional technology. According to our calculations, fuel savings reach 50%. Add to this moisture conservation, labor shortages in agriculture, and the lack of need for fertilizer spreaders, cultivators, harrows, etc. As a result, we achieve significant economic and agronomic benefits, explains the farmer.

The BEDNAR MATADOR MO operates on the fields of LLC “Agroyuniversal” with opener penetration depth of up to 22 cm at a speed of 8–9 km/h. During a working shift, the 6-meter seeder can sow up to 40 hectares with simultaneous fertilizer application, with tractor fuel consumption at 10–12 L/ha.

— It is possible to sow at speeds of 14–15 km/h, but I do not see the point in it. The main thing is to start the sowing season on time and perform sowing with high quality. With this seeder, we can do exactly that. We also want to purchase an additional precision seeding attachment and turn the BEDNAR MATADOR MO into a universal seed that can be used for all crops, conclude Ruslan Shevchenko.