Austrian manufacturer Farm-ING has launched two compact versions of its SpotSprayING spot sprayer, with the 3-metre model priced from €80,000 through Dutch importer Farmstore. The first unit has already been sold.

The new machines carry working widths of 2.5 to 3 metres and 4.5 metres, aimed at arable farmers who want to carry out spot spraying themselves rather than queue for a contractor. Farmstore said interest grew visibly during the AgroTechniek Holland (ATH) machinery show.

What does the new line add to the existing range?

The compact models share the camera stack used on Farm-ING's larger SpotSprayING machines, which span 6 to 12 metres. A camera sits every 75 cm along the boom, classifying crop and weed pixels on the go. Spray nozzles are spaced 5 cm apart and switched on or off individually. The smallest patch a nozzle can target is 55 by 55 mm.

That resolution sets the agronomic case. Camera-guided spraying concentrates product where it is needed and shuts off nozzles over bare ground, a structure that changes how growers plan patch weed control.

Why buy a smaller spot sprayer?

"We received quite a few enquiries about small machines," said Chris van de Lindeloof, sales and marketing manager at Farmstore.

A 6 to 12-metre spot sprayer "can easily cost €150,000 to €200,000," he noted. Such a machine "requires a large number of hectares to justify the investment. A small machine can be good enough for a farmer who only wants to spray his own land."

Van de Lindeloof declines to publish a minimum farm size that justifies a SpotSprayING. He says growers can quantify savings on crop protection products in euros, but the wider agronomic benefits are harder to put on a spreadsheet.

Owning the timing is one of them. "You can more easily go out earlier or make an extra pass," Van de Lindeloof said, referring to the freedom to react to weed flushes without waiting on a contractor's calendar. For arable operations running tight rotations or patchy weed pressure, that responsiveness can shift the economics of a single season.

Demand, Farmstore adds, came partly from growers who do not need a large machine and want to keep spraying decisions in-house. That is a different buyer profile from the broad-acre operators who typically justify a 6 to 12-metre spot sprayer.

How much does each version cost?

• 3-metre version: from €80,000, in stock, one unit sold
• 4.5-metre version: list price not yet set, expected at roughly 1.5× the smaller unit, around €120,000

Both machines are available immediately through Farmstore.

What should growers watch next?

The launch closes a gap at the lower end of Farm-ING's camera-guided spot spraying line. Until now, growers considering in-house spot spraying faced a price floor near €150,000. The new 3-metre and 4.5-metre versions cut that threshold by roughly half for buyers who do not need 6 metres of boom.

Van de Lindeloof expects most interest from arable farmers with weed patches too small for a contractor visit to pencil out, and from growers who already own a smaller machine and want to bring spraying back in-house. The 4.5-metre price will be confirmed once the first order converts, with deliveries running through Farmstore from this week.