Ponzio, Abbondanzieri, Lux, and Sensini to compete, but off the field this time

Four renowned former Argentine footballers – Leo Ponzio, Roberto “Pato” Abbondanzieri, Javier Lux, and Roberto Sensini – are trading their cleats for agricultural pursuits, set to compete in the "Club de los Máximos Rendimientos" initiative by NK Semillas. This unique competition will focus on achieving the highest corn yield during the upcoming season.

The program, presented at the Aapresid Congress with support from Expoagro, will adopt a docu-reality format. It will track 15 producers from various agricultural regions across Argentina, including Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, and Córdoba. The series will document their entire journey, from selecting the field to the final harvest, detailing their agronomic decisions, responses to climate challenges, and overall management strategies.

Francisco Pérez Brea, Marketing Manager at NK, explained the initiative's goal is to reveal the narrative behind the numbers. "We want to show the story behind the yield. Everyone talks about the final result, but there are a lot of decisions, successes, errors, and situations that a producer experiences during a season that are often unknown," he said. The competition aims to provide a comprehensive view of the agricultural process, emphasizing the complexities and nuances involved.

Producers will select their competitive fields and manage them throughout the campaign, deciding on hybrids, planting dates, density, fertilization, and other key decisions. NK Semillas will provide ongoing technical support, while external advisors will offer additional perspectives. The competition features three categories: highest absolute yield, highest yield relative to environmental potential (using Syngenta's Cropwise platform as a "VAR" for evaluation), and a team-based competition.

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We want to show the story behind the yield. Everyone talks about the final result, but there are a lot of decisions, successes, errors, and situations that a producer experiences during a season that are often unknown.