Information for fruit and vegetables business in CIS
Training and Field Day for Poltava Oblast Agronomists
Training on environmental protection for the agronomists of the central and regional AMP offices was organized by the Agricultural Marketing Project (AMP). The event was conduced by the USAID expert Dr. Robert Hedlund, whose field of study is the plant protection from pests using methods which do not affect the environment. In the intelligible way expert informed the participants about the methods of crops protection from pests, which can be as effective as the pesticide usage. He strongly advised the agronomists to use these methods of pest control with the aim to minimize the negative influence of pesticides on environment.
After the training the agronomists of the central and six regional AMP offices together with AMP director and USAID representatives visited farm "Izuminka", v. Vaski, Poltava oblast, where AMP demo plot is situated. The acreage of the demo plot is 0,6 hectares. On the plot various hybrids of cabbage varieties are represented: broccoli, Pekinese, cauliflower, red-headed and white-headed cabbage. Only the hybrids with the highest marketing potential (as to the opinion of AMP specialists) have been grown on the demo plot. The hybrids are differentiated according to the terms of ripening; the seeds are donated by a number of firms. It was the first field day in the season. The farm leader informed the participants what technologies had been applied on the demo plot starting from the moment of its establishment.
As to the opinion of Oleg Smolka, the agronomist of Poltava AMP office, the state of the cabbage plantings is good enough mainly thanks to the method of transplanting seedlings. He said that the first production will be in a month, and to the present moment the farmer hopes for the great yield.