Growing Before Our Eyes: Smart Technologies Transform Russian Greenhouses
Russian agricultural innovator Shchelkovo Agrokhim has unveiled a unique laboratory complex designed for plant cultivation under controlled artificial climates — enabling up to seven harvests a year.
The Future of Russian Agritech
Speaking at the 27th Russian Agricultural Exhibition "Golden Autumn", Russia’s Minister of Agriculture Oksana Luth emphasized that the future of the country’s agricultural sector is inseparable from the development of digital technologies. With these tools, what once seemed like science fiction is becoming a practical reality.
Researchers from Shchelkovo Agrokhim showcased an intelligent cultivation complex capable of producing up to seven harvests per year. The system’s purpose is to accelerate breeding cycles, test new technologies rapidly, and integrate them into real production environments. The heart of the project is a specially designed climate chamber — a laboratory for plant experiments under a fully controlled environment. The facility was developed in collaboration with KlimBioTech.
Key environmental factors such as light intensity, spectral composition, temperature, humidity, CO₂ concentration, substrate composition, and nutrient delivery are precisely managed through digital SCADA systems — now overseen by artificial intelligence.
When every parameter aligns to optimize plant development, growth accelerates dramatically. The approach, known as ‘speed breeding,’ enables the rapid creation of new crop varieties and hybrids. In Russia, the technology is being developed jointly by the All-Russian Research Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology (VNIISB), climate equipment manufacturer KlimBioTech, and Shchelkovo Agrokhim.
New Horizons for Russia’s Agricultural Sector
During the "Golden Autumn" exhibition, a plenary session titled ‘Digitalization as a Tool for Increasing Productivity in Agriculture’ showcased speed-breeding technology in action. Sunflower plants displayed at the event were already flowering just 50 days after germination. According to KlimBioTech’s CEO Daria Freimans, the system can yield up to seven generations of crops annually.
This development drastically shortens breeding cycles for high-value agricultural crops. As Nadezhda Balaeva, a research scientist at Shchelkovo Agrokhim, explained: “These climate chambers allow us to accelerate selection processes through speed breeding, conduct product trials more efficiently, and fully assess the genetic potential of our own crop varieties and hybrids.”
The complex provides a breakthrough for Russia’s agro-industrial sector. It enables researchers to test crop protection products and agrochemicals under controlled conditions at all stages of plant growth, reproducing identical experimental environments and minimizing external influences. Scientists can simulate specific weather patterns to breed varieties suited for particular climate zones and assess product effectiveness on genetic lines and new plant types. Real-time data collection allows continuous monitoring and detailed analysis of plant growth, morphology, and physiology.
From Russia to the World
Minister Oksana Luth also noted at the Breeders’ Forum in Kazan that modern crop science has moved far beyond biology, now working at the intersection of bioinformatics, digital technology, programming, ecology, and analytics.
The accelerated-growth complexes represent a prime example of Russian high-tech solutions applied in agriculture. This innovation challenges traditional seasonal cycles and gives Russian producers a competitive edge. It allows new crop varieties, fertilizers, and protection products to reach the market faster, enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of the national agricultural sector.
The same technology also dramatically boosts the efficiency of indoor cultivation — from industrial greenhouses to city farms and vertical agriculture. Smart climate systems increase yields by fine-tuning environmental controls, enabling year-round fresh produce supply. These advancements can support the creation of local agri-businesses and generate new high-tech jobs.
As Middle Eastern countries invest heavily in climate-controlled agri-tech to combat the challenges of global warming, Russia’s technology could become an export success, positioning the nation as a significant contributor to global food security.
