Rusagro has introduced a system for automatic recognition of weed plants using drones for ₽159 million

The Rusagro Group of Companies has completed the introduction of an automatic weed recognition system using unmanned aerial vehicles. The project worth ₽159 million was implemented jointly with AssistAgro with the support of the Skolkovo Foundation. This became known in November 2024.

According to CNews, the project was carried out from 2022 to 2024 within the framework of the federal project "Artificial Intelligence" of the national program "Digital Economy." The Skolkovo Foundation has allocated a grant of ₽72,5 million.

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AssistAgro

Alexander Gorpinyuk, Deputy Operations Director for Digitalization of Rusagro-Invest, stressed that the introduction of the AssistAgro system helped significantly increase the efficiency of crop management, reduce field blockage and optimize processing costs.

The new technology made it possible to accelerate the collection and analysis of data on the phytosanitary state of fields six times. The system provides accurate determination of species composition and weed development phase, generates recommendations on application of plant protection products.

The introduction of the system led to an increase in crop yields and a decrease in the overall blockage of fields by perennial weeds. The agroholding plans to extend the technology to its other businesses.

AssistAgro, created in 2021, has developed a technological solution specifically for large agricultural enterprises. By November 2024, 25% of the company belongs to the ex-general director of the group Maxim Basov.

Rusagro Group of Companies is one of the leading agro-industrial holdings in Russia, specializing in the production of sugar, pork, fat and fat and agricultural products. The company's land bank covers 707 thousand hectares in 15 regions of the country.

According to Pavel Gudkov, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Skolkovo Foundation, the project contributes to the sustainable development of the agro-industrial complex and the strengthening of the country's food security.^[1]

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