AI in Russia Helps Pinpoint the Best Places to Pick Wild Strawberries and Porcini Mushrooms
The digital system UrozhAI has been named the best solution for agriculture.
Researchers from Karelia, together with the company Yagody Karelii (Berries of Karelia), have won the prestigious federal AI Innovator Awards for applying artificial intelligence in the agro-industrial sector. Their project, UrozhAI, was recognized as the top AI application in agriculture in 2025.
A Virtual Forager With a Keen Instinct
The project was supported by the Foundation for Assistance to Innovations. UrozhAI (Harvest AI) is a digital system designed to forecast yields of wild-growing plants. It systematizes and analyzes historical harvesting data, current weather conditions, soil characteristics, and the broader environmental situation. Based on this analysis, the system identifies the most promising areas for foraging.
As the developers put it, the system essentially acts like an experienced forager with a strong intuitive sense.
What makes UrozhAI distinctive is its ability to combine knowledge from multiple fields – biology, geography, cartography – with the practical experience of berry and mushroom pickers. At present, the algorithm can accurately determine where and when it is best to harvest cloudberries, bilberries, lingonberries, cranberries, blueberries, wild strawberries, and porcini mushrooms. At the same time, it is continuing to “learn” optimal conditions for collecting pine nuts.
One of a Kind
The technology is particularly important for seasonal workers, for whom predictable harvests mean stable income. It also supports a more careful approach to nature, as resources can be used more efficiently and sustainably.
At present, the developers say there are no direct analogues to this Russian system anywhere in the world.
The AI Innovator Awards are given only to projects that have already demonstrated their effectiveness in real-world conditions. UrozhAI stands out as a clear example of how artificial intelligence can be successfully deployed in agriculture, contributing to economic development and improving quality of life.
