Full explanation
Ukraine zoning: South (Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kherson, Crimea) — FAO 300–420 (mid- to late-maturity); Forest-Steppe (Poltava, Cherkasy, Vinnytsia, Kyiv) — FAO 250–380 (mid-maturity); Polissia and West (Zhytomyr, Volyn, Lviv) — FAO 180–280 (early maturity). Group choice balances: later hybrids = higher potential (up to 12–14 t/ha), but risk of not maturing, high harvest moisture (30%+), drying costs. Earlier = lower potential (7–9 t/ha), but reliable maturity, harvest moisture 14–18%. For Steppe without Kakhovka irrigation, moving to FAO 280–350 (mid-early) is recommended — balance of yield and drought tolerance. Market leaders: Corteva (Pioneer), Syngenta (NK), KWS, MAS Seeds, Limagrain, Ukrainian Institute of Grain Crops NAAS.