Stories of Success: Angel and Petar Iliev Take a New Approach to Agriculture to Adapt to Climate Change

In the heart of Bulgaria’s Coastal Dobrudja, the family farm 'Agroservice' of Angel and Petar Iliev continues to write its story. With hard work, new knowledge, reliable machinery, and adaptation of their agricultural practices, the two agronomists — father and son — are overcoming the challenges brought by a changing climate.

With 2,000 hectares of arable land, the farm is an example of transformation in the sector. Angel Iliev laid the foundation more than 30 years ago, and today his son Petar has taken up the baton with a new vision for development.

"What my father knew as farming no longer exists. Everything is changing — technologies, machinery, ways of working," says Petar, whom we spoke with during the spring corn sowing near the village of Bezhanovo, in Shabla municipality.

This spring, sowing began later than usual — the climatic conditions in Dobrudzha have become increasingly unpredictable, with April snowfalls and rains delaying fieldwork. Still, the soil moisture offers hope for a good start.
After the dramatic drought that began in the region in 2020 and has worsened each year — leaving nearly 90% of crops without yield in 2023 — Petar became convinced that a change in production practices was inevitable. As a result, they stopped deep plowing and began focusing on minimal tillage.

"It doesn’t work everywhere, but overall, this is the trend we're trying to follow," Petar explains.

Along with reduced tillage, the farm has started using microbial fertilizers and carefully selected plant protection products, aiming to enrich the soil and maximize crop development.
Reliable machinery has proven to be key in the transition to more sustainable farming, Petar Iliev shares. During the short spring sowing windows, the farm relies on the Swedish Vaderstad Tempo planter. The 12-row planter is equipped with fertilizer and a front-mounted hopper.

"This is our third season using this planter — we've sown over 3,500 hectares with it. It's flawless, even at 17 km/h during sowing, there's no issue with even crop emergence. The way this planter is designed is so good that even as an agronomist, I’m impressed. With the fertilizer application we’re doing now, we’ve reduced costs by nearly 50%," says Petar Iliev.

The planter works in combination with a Case Magnum 340 tractor with 340 horsepower, equipped with dual wheels — a solution that reduces soil compaction.

Since 2018, the owners of "Agroservice" have been partnering with Titan Machinery Bulgaria, from whom they purchased the Case Magnum tractor, Case 6140 combine harvesters, and later the Vaderstad Tempo planter.
"We're satisfied — both with the equipment and the service. Honestly, I highly recommend it! As everyone knows, in any company, the service team is just as important as the salespeople," Petar adds.

The Iliev family farm in Dobrudzha is a prime example of continuity, trust, flexibility, and bold steps toward adapting agriculture to climate change. Knowledge, reliable machinery, and of course — the optimism inherent to farmers — give them the strength to keep moving forward.

"Our goal is to reduce costs, stay calm, and persist," Petar Iliev shares with a smile at the end of our conversation.