Answered by: Експерт по земеделие

In short: Mostoften, flexible sowing according to moisture, conservation treatments and rootless farming, precise disease forecasting and cooperation are applied.
Southern Dobrudzha is thedriest region of Bulgaria and production is mostly irrigable.
Therefore, good practices are aimed at preserving moisture and moreprudent use of fertilizers and detergents.
Flexible sowing norm.
ET "Agro-Svetlozar Dichevski" (Varna) has switched from fixed to flexible sowing norms according to soil moisture, with drought-resistant varieties.
The result is a morestable drought yield and less seed costs.
Rootless farming and minimal cultivation.
The technology has developed in Bulgaria since 2000, mainly in Dobrudzha: first in small areas, then with the gradual exclusion of ploughing.
Fewer passes in the field.
Bomar Trade combines operations in one pass, which protects the structure and moisture of the soil.
Disease prognosis.
"Agromate" (Yambol) uses a weather station and a disease model to spray at the right moment.
This reduces the use of pesticides by up to 30%.
Cooperation.
Motor 93 Insurance Company (Babuk) shows how sharing equipment gives access to technology without much investment.
The Help Center can connect you to these farms for hands-on experience.
Material: Good Practices 1, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8; Training Module 1 and 2; Report "Innovative Approaches in Agriculture".

Yes. Start with an electronic field log, maps, rainfall, soil analyses and photos of problem areas — this way you compare results and do not rely on memory alone. Such a log also makes it easier to prove your activities under the eco-schemes and the intervention for conservation tillage.

Even without a variable-rate machine, you can find which areas need a separate check. Some services can be outsourced.

As of 07.10.2026 — no. The calls under "Investments in agricultural holdings" (II.Г.1) and for environmental protection investments (II.Г.1.1) closed on 4.03 and 18.03.2026. On 30.09.2026 the budget of II.Г.1.1 was increased by €27.6 million to €112.2 million, but this is only for projects already submitted (around 490 of 1,092 are expected to be approved). No new call has been announced until the end of 2026.

Tip: prepare now — soil analyses, quotes, a business plan idea — because interest is huge: in the last call, the amounts requested were about 3 times the budget. The Help Desk can let you know when the call is announced.

Sources: agri.bg, 30.09.2026; MAF, 10.01.2026.

Yes. On 2.10.2026 the EC approved €170 million of state aid for Bulgarian farmers because of higher fuel and fertiliser prices (linked to the crisis in the Middle East). The maximum is €50,000 per holding, the scheme applies until 31.12.2026, and the call is expected at the beginning of October. The specific rates had not yet been announced as of 07.10 — follow the SFA website.

Sources: ruse.news, 02.10.2026; agri.bg, 01.10.2026.

Possibly — under the new crisis intervention, with a call from the beginning of November 2026. The budget is about €33 million from the EU (about €84 million with national co-financing). It covers losses of at least 30% of average annual production from the 2025 drought, climate events in 2026 and pests that occurred before 1.09.2026. Payments are expected by the end of the year.

Prepare your loss documents now (damage reports, yield data from previous years). Calls are short.

Sources: agri.bg — Chakarov on the crisis intervention; agri.bg, 18.08.2026; agro.bg, 02.09.2026.

No. The emergency de minimis aid (€42.6 million) closed on 2.10.2026 and was for livestock farmers, greenhouse growers, potatoes, mushrooms, roses and walnuts, not for grain. The emergency aid for sunflower and maize had a call on 17–28.08.2026. For grain producers, the relevant options now are the fuel and fertiliser aid and the crisis intervention (questions above).

Yes. Documents were submitted through the SFA SES between 1.08 and 30.09, and the main checks are completed by 15.10 — on the spot and through satellite images. Keep the fertilisation plan from your agronomist, the soil analyses, proof of fertilising in three stages and photos of field operations. The main requirements:

• mineral nitrogen up to 120 kg/ha and 20% less than the fertilisation plan (if breached — a 100% reduction for the parcel);
• no deep ploughing and no burning of straw;
• plant cover 1.06–30.09, crop rotation and keeping crop residues.

Source: NivaBG, 14.08.2026.

In the first years, yields may fluctuate and weed pressure may be higher. Over time the soil holds more moisture, its structure improves and fuel costs fall. Under climate stress, farms using conservation practices show the best results. Disappointment usually comes from a lack of crop rotation and unrealistic expectations, not from the technology itself.

Material: Report "Research on innovative approaches", section 2; Report "Analysis of good practices", section 3.1.

Strip-till often serves as a transition step towards no-till.

Material: Report "Research on innovative approaches", section 2.2; good practice 10 (Agroelit-Mitov sole trader, Targovishte).

The depth and type of primary tillage are not fixed — they depend on which crop was in the field and when it was harvested. Of all operations, tillage has the strongest effect on the soil's water, air and heat regime.

Seedbed preparation is always shallow — 6–8 cm. The aim is a level, firm seedbed with moisture at sowing depth.

Take the soil into account: vertisols (heavy clay soils in central and southern parts) compact easily and must not be tilled at the wrong moisture; the chernozems of the Dobrich plateau tolerate minimum tillage better.

Material: Training Module 1, sections 1.1–1.2; Brochure 1, section 10.

Fertility and water are one task: every percentage point of humus increases the soil's water-holding capacity. Four accessible practices:

According to the literature, conservation tillage and residues increase available moisture by 5–15% in dry periods and give 5–10% higher yields in drought, while rotations with legumes improve nitrogen use by 10–20%.

Humus builds up slowly — results show over several years, so start now and track with a soil analysis every 4–5 years.

Material: Training Module 1, section 3 "Soil health and fertility"; Brochure 1, section 7.