Hello everyone! My name is Viktor Kovalev, I’m the founder of PotatoNews and the organizer of the Potato Tour across Russia. On February 5, we kicked off a large expedition to the country’s potato farms. We’re filming and editing, and will start publishing the episodes soon: VK will feature the Russian version, while YouTube will host translations into English, German, Spanish, Arabic, and Chinese.
The main goal of the tour is to introduce both professionals and the general public to Russia’s potato growers, and to showcase the technologies, people, and solutions we can truly be proud of. We’re starting in my home region—the Nizhny Novgorod area. Our first stop is Aksentis, one of the largest seed potato producers in the Russian Federation.
Aksentis: People, Technology, and Scale
My first impression from the visit was the strength of the team and process discipline. Cleanliness, biosecurity, and precision really matter here. Right at the entrance there are lockers for clean/work clothes and technical showers—order begins with the small things.
Micropropagation Laboratory
The media preparation room has everything needed for sterile work: autoclave sterilizers, a UV cabinet for pre-treating containers, cold storage for media, and dedicated washing modules. Prepared media are passed through a service window into the laminar room where microcutting is performed.
- Five laminar flow cabinets maintain a stable sterile zone.
- Containers for plant material were selected with a maximally tall form factor, giving more “headroom” for growth and ease of handling.
- Productivity is impressive: one specialist can prepare about 1,200 cuttings per day (around 60 containers), setting a strong pace for the entire cycle.
Greenhouse Complex: Climate Under Control
After redesign, the greenhouses function as a single managed system:
- automated shading screens and actuators for roof and side vents;
- a fogging system maintains humidity and reduces heat stress in hot weather;
- an overhead irrigation/spraying boom with adjustable speed for foliar treatments and uniform rainfall;
- a dosing pump (Dosatron) for precise application of nutrients and crop protection products;
- drip irrigation on pallets, with pots raised off the floor to avoid waterlogging;
- gas heating with thermal registers and perimeter piping to cut off cold air at the walls;
- fans and supplemental lighting to backstop cloudy days.
Climate data are monitored by sensors inside and outside, displayed in dedicated software and on the specialists’ smartphones. The system sends alerts, enabling rapid remote response. In one section alone there are over 6,000 five-liter pots—a clear illustration of the scale and production rhythm.
Logistics of Finished Product
Finished product ships in bulk big bags. Once certificates are ready, dispatch typically occurs within two days—streamlined paperwork and planning support these timelines.
Save the Date: Aksentis Field Day — August 8
This summer, Aksentis will host several major events, including Field Day on August 8. Traditionally, more than a thousand farmers from all over Russia attend. We also invite colleagues from the CIS and further afield: the level of technology and organization here is genuinely impressive.
Why We’re Doing This Tour
Our mission is not a glossy picture, but an honest story about the people and practices shaping the industry. Each episode shows real processes, decisions, and takeaways you can apply on your own farm. If you’d like to take part, invite us over: we’ll come, film, discuss your challenges and achievements, and share them with the PotatoNews audience.
Subscribe to our pages on VK and YouTube—there’s a lot of useful and inspiring content ahead!
