Ukraine is actively developing agri-scouting — a systematic approach to monitoring field conditions throughout the growing season. An agri-scout regularly visits farms, inspects crops according to a defined protocol, collects soil and plant samples and identifies problem areas. The collected data is then analysed, allowing farmers to receive practical recommendations on plant nutrition, pest and disease control and weed management.
Modern agri-scouting increasingly combines field inspections, laboratory diagnostics and digital technologies. Satellite imagery can quickly identify areas with weaker vegetation, which specialists can then inspect directly in the field. Drones, GIS platforms, sensors and soil scanners are also becoming part of the process. For example, the Poltava AgroScout Centre has received a Veris mobile soil scanner capable of mapping fields according to organic matter content, electrical conductivity and soil acidity.
This model can be particularly useful for small and medium-sized farms. Maintaining separate in-house specialists in soil science, crop protection and precision farming is not always economically viable for smaller producers. Agri-scouting allows farmers to access this expertise as a service. For larger agricultural businesses, it provides an additional layer of operational control when one agronomist cannot physically inspect every field at the required frequency.
In Ukraine, this approach is already moving from experimentation toward practical implementation. Agri-scouting centres operate in Lviv, Odesa and Poltava regions, combining specialist training, laboratory testing and regular field support. During its first year of operation alone, the Lviv centre provided around 600 services to local farmers. The main advantage of agri-scouting is the transition from decisions based largely on visual judgement to continuous data-driven monitoring, allowing farmers to respond to problems before they cause significant crop losses.