Variable rate technology and spot spraying

AGCO Corporation, Deere & Company, Kubota Corporation, CNH Industrial, Trimble and BASF are among the companies active in this field. Their work spans precision-farming systems, prescription-based application and camera-guided weed control. Deere’s See & Spray uses camera-based weed detection, while BASF’s ONE SMART SPRAY system supports targeted herbicide application. EcoRobotix is also active in plant-level spot spraying.

EcoRobotix is the clearest startup candidate in the listed organizations, with 8 patent filings and a plant-level ARA spot sprayer. Its approach uses targeted application rather than blanket spraying. The company also raised a Series C round in October 2025. The available facts identify EcoRobotix as a startup, but do not provide comparable startup profiles for a broader ranking.

Jiangsu University, China Agricultural University and Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University are active research groups in the field. Recent work from Jiangsu University tested prescription-map spraying between soybean and maize strips, while China Agricultural University researchers addressed crop–weed detection in residue-covered fields. Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University studies variable-rate spray controls, including pulse-width-modulated systems.

Reported grant funding totals $3,446,694 across 2 grants since 2020. The funding-round data also reports $550,773,700 across 7 rounds, but those entries include organizations and activities not clearly specific to variable-rate technology or spot spraying. Treat the round aggregate as broader and less directly attributable than the grant total.

EcoRobotix leads the listed patent holders with 8 patents, followed by Centure Applications Ltd. with 3 and Spraying Systems Co. with 2. Other listed holders include Valmont Industries, Precision Planting LLC, Ag Leader Technology and Precision Ai. These counts identify the strongest named holders in the available patent data, not necessarily every patent owner in the field.

Yes: patent activity grew 50% in the latest 12-month comparison, within a 24-month window containing 20 patents. EcoRobotix is the largest named patent holder, with 8. The increase points to continued IP development, although patents are only one signal of progress; field validation, equipment compatibility and adoption also shape commercial maturity.

Recent developments include Jiangsu University’s September 2026 prescription-map sprayer for soybean–maize strips and Henan Agricultural University’s August 2026 weed segmentation using fused UAV RGB and multispectral images. The August 2026 DecimeterWeedMan publication describes an open-source AI-vision spot-spraying platform from the University of Aarhus and University of Verona. These projects connect improved targeting with field-ready application methods.

The main approaches are map-based prescriptions, optical sensor control, vision and AI targeting, nozzle-level application control, and aerial application platforms. Maps use preplanned spatial instructions; optical sensors respond to crop signals; vision systems identify targets; nozzle controls regulate delivery; and aerial platforms carry sensing or spraying over fields. Each trades operational flexibility against data, detection or control complexity.

The listed applications are broadacre weed control, nutrient application, crop pest and disease protection, specialty crops, and pasture and rangeland management. Broadacre weed control is the largest application area in the facts, while variable-rate nutrient application matches fertilizer rates to crop or field conditions. Orchard and specialty-crop spraying can also adapt treatment to canopy variation rather than applying uniformly.