The Samara region is considered a zone of risky agriculture. However, the province is able to fully provide itself with potatoes and even supply it to other regions. According to experts, this result is provided by advanced technologies, the use of irrigation systems, and, most importantly, the sowing of healthy breeding material.
Elite potato seeds are available to summer residents and farmers of the Samara region Photo: Ekaterina Klimova Elite potato seeds are available to summer residents and farmers of the Samara region Photo: Ekaterina Klimova
Give selection
The enterprises included in the association “Molyanov Agro Group” are well known in the Russian market as a producer of seed potatoes of elite and reproduction categories. The main task of the potato seed production system at Molyanov Agro Group LLC remains the production of high-quality initial seed material, which includes not only micropropagation of plants and the cultivation of mini-tubers, but also breeding work to develop new varieties. Varieties are created and grown that give large yields with lower technology costs.
The association cooperates with many well-known breeding companies, including Bavaria-Saat, Europlant, FRC Potato named after. Lorja, Comptoir Du Plant, Solana. Thanks to this, Molyanov Agro Group works with a large portfolio of varieties – from early ones, such as “Riviera” (Agrico selection) and “Colomba” (HZPC selection), to mid-ripening and chips.
Quality seed material for sowing is grown in protected agroecological conditions in Samara, Ulyanovsk, Chelyabinsk, Mari El and Kaliningrad. In unique climatic conditions, seeds are grown for the Volga region and the South of Russia. All sites are constantly equipped with modern equipment so that the company’s products meet the highest standards.
Some varieties of potatoes are purchased in Germany, Holland, and Finland.
“Now the country has the opportunity to grow a Russian product, to be independent of supplies from abroad,” says Vladimir Molyanov, General Director of the agrogroup.
One of the association’s partners, Paslen Agro LLC, is engaged in the cultivation of seed potatoes of elite and super-elite reproductions. Under this allotted 70 hectares in the village of Chernovsky, Volga region. The fields of the farm are located in a special floodplain area, which gives them geographical protection from viruses that can penetrate from more open areas.
According to Evgeny Peresedov, general director of Paslen Agro LLC, the use of the latest achievements of science and modern technologies has made it possible to obtain a crop of about 30 tons of seeds per hectare in recent years. Selection work is headed by candidates of agricultural sciences and agronomists with more than 10 years of experience. The machine operators have at their disposal modern tractors equipped with a precision farming system. Last year, the farm bought watering equipment with a subsidy received under the national project “International Cooperation and Export”. Under the terms of the program, manufacturers must send part of their products for export. This year, the first export batch went to Kazakhstan.
Got a taste
Products are sold through two channels. Industrial volumes of seed potatoes – from 1 ton – Paslen Agro LLC ships to farmers all over Russia, up to Kamchatka. The second direction is the retail sale of seed and ware potatoes. The trading platform is located in Chernovsky. The assortment includes varieties “Krone”, “Lisana”, “Sanyava”, “Betina”, “Riviera”, “Red Fantasy”, “Queen Anna”, “Rozara”, “Zekura”. There, tubers are sold in nets of 30 kilograms. This amount is enough to plant one hundred square meters of land. Peresedov states that there are more clients. The pandemic and the changing economic situation have forced people to be more pragmatic about country life.
- Summer residents have become more enlightened, – notes the head of the economy. – They study varieties, cultivation features, consult a lot. The attitude to the result has also changed. If earlier any harvest was considered a good result, now people want to know in advance what they can count on, they consciously approach planting.
Specialists of Paslen Agro LLC help summer residents to navigate in the choice of variety and suitable fertilizer. Those who take large batches of seeds can count on advice on the selection of equipment, watering, harvesting and drying the crop.
Pragmatic Approach
It is more cost-effective to buy superelite or elite reproduction seed potatoes from manufacturers. This allows you to provide yourself with tubers for food and seeds for 3-10 years – depending on the yield of the variety. Supporters of shopping at the bazaar, according to Peresedov, are not immune from disappointment, since they can buy not high-quality potatoes, but degenerated ones, with accumulated viruses and diseases.
