Severe periods of drought regularly endanger the harvest in the Samara region, forcing farmers to take special measures. By expanding its irrigated area and purchasing 14 Bauer Linestars, the company Sev-07 is adapting successfully.
Founded in 2007, the agricultural operation SEV-07 extends over 80 km along the Volga river. The company got its start with pulses and grains on just over 900 hectares of land at the time of its founding. Despite the favorable location near a river, the harvest yields were regularly impacted by severe droughts during the sowing season. This prompted Alexander Shpagin, director of Sev-07, to invest in professional irrigation of his land. After all, the expenditure of seed, fertilizer and energy only makes sense if the plants receive the right amount of water at the right time.
The purchase of 14 Bauer Linestars 9000 turned out to be the ideal solution. The scale of the project is impressive: the Bauer machines are irrigating a total area of 2500 ha. Each Linestar is equipped with a boom on both sides, bringing the total length of a machine to as much as 1,100 m.
While other systems operate with very high energy consumption, the Linestar 9000 draws water directly from the new, open canals, which are situated at a level lower than the main canal, relying on gravity to keep them fed with water.
All of the Linestars are also equipped with the GPS-enabled irrigation app SmartRain, which allows for constant monitoring and convenient remote control of the 14 machines. Any disruptions are immediately indicated by SMS or in the app. Reports on water consumption and hours of operation can be generated at the press of a button. Thanks to the high-quality and reliable Bauer irrigation solution, the farming operation has also been able to expand its crops to include winter wheat, barley, sunflowers, corn and the primary crop of soy beans.
Alexander Shpagin considers the “human factor” to be just as important as cutting-edge technology. Only the perfect interplay between human and machine can ensure the success of a company. More than 200 employees work at Sev-07 – Shpagin: “Each of them is a specialist in his area.”
“The Linestar 9000 provides efficient irrigation and conserves water. Exactly the right dose of water is supplied at the right time during the right growth phase of the plant.”
Director Alexander Shpagin, Sev-07
