Title of R&D Project: Scientific Justification of Agrotechnological and Economic Parameters for the Cultivation and Storage of Crop Production in Organic Farming (0121U109561)
Project Leader: Andrii Oleksandrovych Butenko, PhD in Agricultural Sciences, Associate Professor
Implementation Period: 01.03.2021 – 31.12.2022
Funding Volume: 1,306.844 thousand UAH
The aim of the research was to adapt elements of biologized farming to the conditions of the Left-Bank Forest-Steppe of Ukraine and provide their scientific justification by studying the complex influence of post-harvest green manure crops on the fertility parameters of typical chernozem, as well as the quantitative and qualitative indicators of potato yield.
Object of study: Comparison of the fertilizing value of post-harvest green manures; establishment of optimal fertility parameters for typical chernozem; obtaining high-quality production with low cost and energy consumption through the use of post-harvest green manuring. Parameters included: leaf area of the organic agro-phytocenosis, photosynthesis intensity, CO₂ content in the air, humus and organic matter content in the soil, and groundwater quality.
Subject of study: Development of intermediate green manure crops and their fertilizing value, nutrient reserve content, soil agrophysical and water properties, potato yield, and economic efficiency of biologized potato growing technologies. Also included were soil cultivation methods, sowing of agricultural and green manure crops, and parameters of production, storage, and processing of produce.
Practical value: The results improved potato cultivation technologies using biological farming elements—specifically, the use of oilseed radish as a post-harvest green manure to optimize soil fertility and produce high-quality crops at low cost. Practical recommendations were provided on growing post-harvest green manure crops.
Main results and scientific novelty:
Organic agrotechnologies were developed using intermediate green manuring and non-plow tillage systems, which led to optimal soil structure indicators—density, hardness, water permeability, and absorption/filtration capacity—while activating soil microflora and significantly enhancing CO₂ sequestration. In organic farming, crop cultivation must harmonize with fresh air, clean water, healthy soil, and biodiversity. In the absence of manure, a broad mix of green manure crops should be used, selected based on local soil-climatic conditions and specific objectives.
Year-round vegetative cover from intermediate crops mimics natural soil formation and microclimate regulation processes. This promoted optimal soil fertility parameters and microclimatic conditions amid adverse climate phenomena like heavy rains, air droughts, and dust storms.
Compared to similar research, the project’s novelty lies in adapting organic production to climate change in Ukraine’s temperate zone by enhancing soil fertility and reducing greenhouse gases using natural mechanisms—establishing permanent vegetative cover and mulching layers from intermediate crops incorporated into soil using no-till methods. Crop rotations with optimally alternating winter and spring crops ensured maximum field coverage, stimulating mycorrhizal activity, biological soil processes, and formation of agronomically valuable soil structure.
As a result, soils became rich in organic matter, with higher humus and nutrient levels, active biota, and biologically driven loosening processes—achieved with minimal economic and energy input while preserving plant biodiversity. This ongoing vegetative presence contributed to creating optimal moderate microclimate conditions within agroecosystems.
Adapted organic farming technologies developed through this project offer the scientific community validated solutions to address climate warming and water pollution associated with conventional agriculture.
Their implementation in Ukraine enhances agrocenosis and biodiversity resilience to climate change and ensures stable high-quality yields.
Practical significance:
Implementation of these organic farming proposals led to an estimated increase in cultivation profitability by 40–50%, a 30–40% reduction in economic and energy cost per production unit, and a consistent rise in forecasted yield. With global demand for organic products continuously increasing and their higher profitability compared to conventional goods, organic land use in Ukraine’s temperate climate can potentially expand to 50–60% of cultivated land, raising Ukraine’s share of organic production accordingly.
