Russia and Belarus Create Digital Twins for Plants
Scientists say the breakthrough could reshape farming—boosting crop yields on Earth and even enabling plant growth aboard spacecraft or on other planets.
Researchers from Siberian Federal University and the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus have developed and successfully tested a digital twin technology for “smart” farms. The system can forecast microclimate changes inside phytotrons—sealed chambers for plant cultivation—with near-perfect accuracy.
The model, trained on data from a vertical farm with 4,500 planting spots, uses artificial intelligence to process sensor readings and recommend optimal settings for light, temperature, and humidity. Beyond cutting energy costs, it lets farmers “program” crop traits—for example, boosting protein output or altering the color and taste of vegetables by tuning light spectra, without resorting to genetic engineering.
The digital twin can also simulate outcomes of crossbreeding different species and adding microbial strains into hydroponic systems to alter plant biochemistry.
