Everything You Need to Know About Initial Farm Setups, Fertilizers, and Field Fertility

Hello and welcome back—I’m Bbo Jo. In this guide, I’m sharing everything you need to know about setting up your farm in Workers and Resources: Soviet Republic. Today, we’ll cover the essentials: from handling fertilizers and managing nutrient levels to understanding fertility, crop production, and the annual lifecycle of your fields. Note that while I’m breaking down all the key components for a basic setup, I’m not revealing the “perfect” farm layout just yet—this is still a work in progress.

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1. Getting Started: Farm Basics and Vehicle Requirements

Before you start sowing your fields, it’s crucial to have the right infrastructure in place. Here’s what you need for the initial farm setup:

• Fertilizer Logistics:
  • Liquid Fertilizer:
    • Liquid fertilizer is managed via the “magic import” system. Simply click the magic import button, specify your desired amount, and approve the purchase. The liquid fertilizer will appear in your inventory shortly.
  • Solid Fertilizer:
    • Unlike liquid fertilizer, solid fertilizer isn’t available for direct purchase. You need to use a waste truck to pick up fertilizer—typically from the customs house—and deliver it to a dump connected to your farm. This process ensures that your fields can benefit from the residual nutrients.
• Essential Vehicles:
  • Combine Harvester: For efficient crop collection at harvest time.
  • Covered Hull Truck: Helps in transporting harvested crops safely.
  • Tractor: Crucial for field work such as sowing and fertilizer application.
  • Note: If you’re using a distribution office setup, you might not need a dedicated tractor for every task, but I recommend having one for a robust setup.

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2. Fertilizer Application and Field Fertility

Understanding fertilizer application is key to maximizing your crop yield:

• Fertility Basics:
  • A field’s fertility number reflects the maximum crop yield you can expect. Traditionally, a fully fertile (100%) large field could produce around 300 tons of crops per harvest cycle. In our current system, reaching 100% fertility is the goal, but you can push it even higher with proper management.
• Maximum Fertility:
  • With the right mix of inputs, you can achieve up to 200% fertility. There are two main ways to boost this:
    • Applying Both Liquid and Solid Fertilizer: A combination that ensures the field reaches peak nutrient levels.
    • Leveraging Residual Fertilizer: Leftover, rotting crops on the field are automatically treated as solid fertilizer, naturally boosting your fertility over time.
• Fertilizer Application Phases:
  • Solid Fertilizer:
    • Applied both before sowing and after harvest.
    • It “sticks” to the field, providing a lasting nutrient boost.
  • Liquid Fertilizer:
    • Has a more transient effect and must be applied at specific growth stages.
    • Multiple stages can be applied, but there is a maximum effective level beyond which additional applications won’t yield further benefits.
• Practical Considerations:
  • Fields typically start with about 25 tons of fertilizer naturally, which gradually builds up.
  • A large field might require roughly 95 tons of solid fertilizer in its first year—a significant input, but one that pays off over subsequent years as the solid fertilizer remains on the field.

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3. Crop Production and Life Cycles

Managing your farm isn’t just about applying fertilizer—it’s also about timing and understanding the crop cycle:

• Seasonal Timing:
  • Sowing:
    • Your tractors will start sowing once winter passes. However, if a field is delayed (for instance, due to late fertilizer application or residual crop buildup), sowing may be pushed back, affecting the entire harvest schedule.
  • Harvesting:
    • When your field yields its crops, any uncollected produce will eventually rot, contributing to solid fertilizer and potentially boosting fertility for future cycles.
• Yield Variations:
  • High Fertility Fields:
    • Fields that reach near-200% fertility can yield around 570–580 tons per cycle (in large fields).
  • Moderate Fertility Fields:
    • For example, a field at 166% fertility might yield noticeably less—test numbers can vary, so always keep an eye on the “mixed waste” (or residual fertilizer) levels on your fields.

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4. Logistics and Infrastructure: Vehicles and Road Networks

High-yield fields mean more crops, which in turn require efficient logistics:

• Increased Truck Requirements:
  • Doubling the crop yield effectively doubles the number of truck trips needed for transport.
  • Ensure you have enough trucks—and if possible, upgrade to faster models—to manage the increased load.
• Road Surface Considerations:
  • Avoid relying solely on gravel roads for heavy farm traffic.
  • Invest in asphalt roads where possible, as faster roads will allow trucks to move more quickly, ensuring that increased production isn’t bottlenecked by slow transit times.

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5. Final Thoughts and Optimization Strategies

While this guide covers the core elements of setting up your farm—fertilizer management, fertility boosts, crop cycles, and logistics—it’s important to remember:

• There’s No “Perfect” Setup (Yet):
  • I’m still testing various configurations to determine the ideal layout and input ratios for maximum yield. What I’ve shared here forms the basic framework.
• Optimization Is Key:
  • Monitor your field’s fertility levels and adjust fertilizer applications as needed.
  • Use leftover crops wisely—their conversion into solid fertilizer can sustain your field’s productivity over multiple seasons.
• Plan for Scale:
  • As your farm grows and you achieve higher yields, scaling up your logistics (more trucks, better roads) will be critical to maintaining efficiency.
• Experiment and Adjust:
  • Every map and setup may behave slightly differently due to terrain and resource availability. Use this guide as a starting point, then tailor your approach based on your in-game observations.

Thank you for joining me in this basic farm guide. I hope these insights into fertilizer management, field fertility, and logistics help you kickstart your agricultural empire in Workers and Resources: Soviet Republic. If you found this guide helpful, please like and subscribe, and feel free to share your own tips and setups in the comments.

Happy farming, and I’ll see you next time!