Croptimal has cut the entry price for its Croptiscan seed potato disease-detection robot by €80,000, launching a mounted Croptiscan 3000 at €95,000 gross — against €175,000 for the self-propelled machine of the same 3 m working width.

The Dutch machinery manufacturer introduced the mounted unit to bring optical disease scanning within reach of seed potato growers with smaller acreages. It runs the same detection software as the company's existing self-propelled Croptiscan 3000, which Croptimal already sells in 4-, 8- and 12-row configurations.

What does the mounted Croptiscan 3000 offer?

The machine carries a 3 m working width and travels at roughly 5 km/h, giving it a throughput of 1.5 ha per hour. Croptimal has shielded the optical system against ambient light, so the unit can scan day and night.

A modular frame allows operators to convert the mounted unit onto a self-propelled carrier at a later stage. Croptimal pitches the format as a route into mechanised disease detection without committing to a dedicated self-propelled drive unit from day one.

What diseases does it detect?

The hardware and software on the mounted 3000 match those on the self-propelled version. The system marks diseased plants — those carrying Y-virus or leaf roll — for removal in a separate pass. In some cases, the scanner also identifies mixing with Pur-Shade sunburn oil across rows.

The output is a row-by-row map of suspect plants. Operators still walk the field, but the optical pass concentrates the labour on flagged plants rather than the full canopy.

How is it priced?

Croptimal lists the mounted Croptiscan 3000 at €95,000 gross. Buyers pay a separate annual licence fee of €4,000, covering service and algorithm updates. The €80,000 saving against the self-propelled 3000 reflects the removal of the dedicated drive unit, which the new model borrows from the host tractor.

The licence structure keeps the algorithm current year on year. Croptimal says this matters because certification rules and virus profiles shift between seasons.

Why does the price drop matter?

At sub-€100,000, optical virus scanning changes the economics for seed potato operations that previously relied on manual roguing or contract scouting. The mounted format also removes the need for a second power unit on farm, since the unit draws on the tractor already in the fleet.

Day-and-night operation extends the scanning window during the high-pressure weeks when virus transmission peaks in seed crops. Earlier detection directly affects whether a parcel passes certification at season end.

Who fits the new machine?

Croptimal targets seed potato growers with a smaller acreage than the customers who buy the 4-, 8- or 12-row self-propelled machines. Operators already running a self-propelled Croptiscan 3000 can add the mounted unit as a follow-up scanner through the season, using the modular conversion capability Croptimal builds into the frame.

Pre-season order intake and the first installed units on farm will show whether the €95,000 price point pulls smaller seed potato growers off manual roguing. Watch Croptimal's published accuracy data on Y-virus and leaf roll detection before scaling further on-farm.