Smart Orchard Doctor: Lasers Help Grow Apples
Apple orchards at Steppe Agroholding are being cultivated using a digital system for applying fertilizers and crop protection agents (CPAs).
High-Precision Laser Sensors
Steppe Agroholding has deployed an intelligent orchard treatment system that combines laser technology with AI, significantly boosting accuracy and efficiency in crop care.
Laser sensors mounted on orchard tractors scan the layout of trees. The smart system then determines which sections require treatment and applies spraying only where needed.
This minimizes overuse of CPAs and fertilizers while calculating precise dosages of active substances. It also reduces water consumption. According to the company, the system cuts overall treatment costs by 20% by automating labor, reducing human error, and improving equipment performance.
Beyond savings, the technology eases employees’ workload. Workers are freed from heavy, repetitive tasks, as the system maps plantings, automates machinery movement, and performs spraying autonomously.
In-House R&D Innovations
Steppe Agroholding develops digital farming projects through its own R&D center. The new orchard treatment technology was designed internally by its specialists.
Steppe Agroholding is part of AFK Sistema and manages more than 578,000 hectares of farmland, making it one of Russia’s largest landowners. Its assets are located in Krasnodar Krai, Stavropol Krai, Rostov Oblast, and Karachay-Cherkessia.
The company operates across four main areas: crop production, dairy farming, intensive horticulture, and vegetable growing. Since 2017, it has actively used AI technologies, investing over 500 million rubles (about $5.6 million) in agricultural digitalization.
Innovations include 3D seeding models based on field topography, machine vision for assessing crop emergence and plant health, and an autonomous droneport that cuts CPA use by 30%. Agrophotonics has been tested, using drones with laser treatments on crops. Soil injectors were also developed to apply liquid fertilizers directly, improving absorption rates to nearly 100%.
Development and Export Potential
The orchard treatment system will continue to evolve, with plans to integrate more precise ultrasonic sensors, telemetry data, and visual monitoring features. This will allow not only automated spraying but also real-time monitoring of tree health.
More accurate fertilizer and CPA dosing, combined with crop growth monitoring, will boost yields and lower production costs—making produce more affordable for consumers.
The system is expected to scale to other crops, with added machine vision capabilities. Broader infrastructure upgrades—IoT sensors, smart agriculture platforms, selective breeding, and yield forecasting systems—will drive growth across all areas of crop production.
Once fully implemented in Russia, the upgraded system will be attractive abroad, particularly in countries with growing horticulture sectors but limited budgets for Western technologies and severe water shortages. Regions in Africa and the Global South are likely early adopters.
