Sunflower losses are a symptom of chemistry, not “just white rot”

Having read the publication about the discussion in Ladyzhyn of the risks of losing up to 50% of the sunflower crop due to white rot, it is worth paying tribute [1]. Farmers speak about the problem professionally and mention the “long life” of the infection in the soil, the importance of crop rotation, and the fact that “chemistry” alone cannot achieve a stable effect. But there is a key blind spot in the material, because they discuss the consequences, not the root cause.

We insist that the root cause is the degradation of the soil environment, namely its structure, moisture, biota, and buffering capacity, which classical agrarians often destroy with excess mineral salts and aggressive technologies. In such soil, pathogens are more comfortable than plants and beneficial biota.

The world is already moving towards greening — because mathematics has become inexorable

Greening agro is not a “fashion”, but a reaction to the fact that excess “nutrients” become a source of soil and water pollution, biodiversity loss and climate emissions. In essence, these wastes clog certain links of the biocenosis, destroying such an ecosystem, which leads to erosion and soil degradation, and as a result, the development of “accelerators” of such processes that attack plants.

1. The EU has set an official target of reducing nutrient losses by at least 50% by 2030, which is expected to lead to a reduction in fertilizer use of at least 20%, without compromising fertility. ([Agriculture and rural development][2])
2. In Europe, a framework for “safe and effective” CE-marked fertilizers and biostimulants is in place (Regulation (EU) 2019/1009): in fact, it stimulates the transition from “just NPK” to controlled, clean, modern products, including organic, organo-mineral and biostimulants. ([EUR-Lex][3])
3. FAO, through the Global Soil Partnership, speaks directly about the risks of nutrient imbalances, soil organic carbon losses and environmental impacts of practices that are incompatible with the soil; there are separate networks focused on sustainable fertility and fertilizer management (INSOILFER). ([FAOHome][4])
4. The IPCC, in its reports on climate solutions in AFOLU, highlights the importance of agricultural emissions (particularly N₂O from nitrogen fertilization) and the importance of soil and fertilizer management practices as part of climate policy. ([IPCC][5])

That is, the global trend is unambiguous: from “flooding” the field with salts to restoring the living soil system.

Why does “white rot” take away 30–50% so easily? The answer is unpleasant

Fungicide is a “first aid” but the field loses season after season when:

• the soil is compacted → the root suffocates, the rhizosphere zone weakens;
• there is little organic matter → there is no stable structure and “food base” for beneficial microbiota;
• water regime “swings” → plant stress and a window for infection;
• biota is suppressed and depleted → pathogens have less competition.

In such a situation, any pathogen with a soil phase is not a “coincidence”, but a pattern.

What our Institute can do — and why it’s strange that it’s not mentioned, even though we’re nearby

Our Institute of Nanotechnology and Organic Products “AveLife” works not with “symptoms on the leaves”, but with the system “soil → root → plant immunity → crop stability”.

1) We transfer the problem from the level of assumptions to the level of measurements

We can do a quick diagnosis of a field (or several areas of a field) to answer the question: – “Why is the risk of rot so high here?”:

• pH and buffering capacity,
• electrical conductivity (signs of salt load),
• structure/sealing,
• organic matter,
• indicators of biological activity.

This provides the basis for technology, rather than “choosing a drug at random.”

2) We return the soil to its “ecosystem shield” function

Our solutions (GREENODIN GRAY / GREENODIN BROWN) cover the underlying causes of field vulnerability:

• soil structuring (better aeration → worse conditions for rot);
• hydration (less stress → stronger immunity);
• restoration of biocenosis: GREENODIN GRAY contains 27 species of agronomically beneficial microorganisms that support nutrition and microbial balance in the rhizosphere;
• cumulative feeding logic: the system allows you to reduce the application rate season by season (rather than increasing the dose, as is often the case with the “salt” approach).

NB! We are not “replacing” the fungicide, we are making the fungicide work in a healthier environment where the plant has a real margin of safety.

3) We have an engineering foundation for regenerative products

Our approach is confirmed by our own developments in the field of organo-mineral fertilizers, including patented solutions, which makes it possible to adapt technologies to specific soils and farm economics – from intensive to organic.

Open offer for Ladyzhyn: “Anti-50%” field program with evidence

So that this doesn’t remain just beautiful text:

1. We suggest choosing two demonstration fields (or 1 field with clear control areas).
2. Diagnostics → risk map → technological protocol.
3. Application of an organo-mineral complex + biological support of the rhizosphere.
4. Comparison with control: plant, root, stress resistance, uniformity, infection background, yield.
5. Public field day with numbers.

Because the main question is not “which drug is better?”, but “why does the field allow the loss of half of the crop at all?”.

The greening of agriculture in the world is about precision, biology, and soil restoration, not about romance. And here, literally next to Ladyzhyn, we have our Institute, which can get involved in the work so that in the coming seasons, we will not discuss “minus 50%”, but will discuss “plus stability”.

[1]: https://naparisi.com

[2]: Nutrients – Agriculture and rural development – European Union

[3]: Regulation – 2019/1009 – EN – EUR-Lex – European Union

[4]: Technical networks | Global Soil Partnership

[5]: “Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Uses (AFOLU)”