AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING

Classification Context

Section:: HUMAN NECESSITIES
Class:: AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING

Description

A01 encompasses technologies and methods for food and raw material production through cultivation, animal rearing, and harvesting activities. It covers agricultural machinery, implements, and equipment; soil preparation and management; crop cultivation and protection; forestry operations and equipment; animal husbandry systems; and hunting, trapping, and fishing methods and devices. This class includes foundational technologies such as plowing, seeding, irrigation, pest control, and livestock management, extending to specialized equipment for forestry harvesting and aquaculture systems.

Filing statistics

IPC A01 recorded 1,882,254 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023, summed across its 12 subclasses. Annual filings grew from 101,816 in 2013 to 181,595 in 2023 (+78%), peaking at 222,095 applications in 2020. The most active applicants in class A01 are CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES (6,725 applications), JOHN DEERE (6,555 applications) and MONSANTO TECHNOLOGY (6,280 applications).

Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings

In class comparison

A01 comprises 12 subclasses with filings; the largest is A01G with 26.6% of the class's 1,882,254 applications between 2013 and 2023.

Top 10 of 12 subclasses of class A01 by patent applications, 2013–2023
Rank	Subclass	Title	Applications	Share
1	A01G, Horticulture; Cultivation of Vegetables, Flowers, Rice, Fruit, Vines, Hops or Seaweed; Forestry; Watering	Horticulture; Cultivation of Vegetables, Flowers, Rice, Fruit, Vines, Hops or Seaweed; Forestry; Watering	500,856	26.6%
2	A01K, Animal Husbandry; Aviculture; Apiculture; Pisciculture; Fishing; Rearing or Breeding Animals, Not Otherwise Provided for; New Breeds of Animals	Animal Husbandry; Aviculture; Apiculture; Pisciculture; Fishing; Rearing or Breeding Animals, Not Otherwise Provided for; New Breeds of Animals	349,334	18.6%
3	A01N, Preservation of Bodies of Humans or Animals or Plants or Parts Thereof; Biocides, e.g. as Disinfectants, as Pesticides or as Herbicides; Pest Repellants or Attractants; Plant Growth Regulators	Preservation of Bodies of Humans or Animals or Plants or Parts Thereof; Biocides, e.g. as Disinfectants, as Pesticides or as Herbicides; Pest Repellants or Attractants; Plant Growth Regulators	218,351	11.6%
4	A01C, Planting; Sowing; Fertilising	Planting; Sowing; Fertilising	176,270	9.4%
5	A01M, Catching, Trapping or Scaring of Animals; Apparatus for the Destruction of Noxious Animals or Noxious Plants	Catching, Trapping or Scaring of Animals; Apparatus for the Destruction of Noxious Animals or Noxious Plants	149,359	7.9%
6	A01P, Biocidal, Pest Repellant, Pest Attractant or Plant Growth Regulatory Activity of Chemical Compounds or Preparations	Biocidal, Pest Repellant, Pest Attractant or Plant Growth Regulatory Activity of Chemical Compounds or Preparations	125,575	6.7%
7	A01D, Harvesting; Mowing	Harvesting; Mowing	120,447	6.4%
8	A01B, Soil Working in Agriculture or Forestry; Parts, Details, or Accessories of Agricultural Machines or Implements, in General	Soil Working in Agriculture or Forestry; Parts, Details, or Accessories of Agricultural Machines or Implements, in General	103,827	5.5%
9	A01H, New Plants or Processes for Obtaining Them; Plant Reproduction by Tissue Culture Techniques	New Plants or Processes for Obtaining Them; Plant Reproduction by Tissue Culture Techniques	86,394	4.6%
10	A01F, Threshing; Baling of Straw, Hay or the Like; Stationary Apparatus or Hand Tools for Forming or Binding Straw, Hay or the Like Into Bundles; Cutting of Straw, Hay or the Like; Storing Agricultural or Horticultural Produce	Threshing; Baling of Straw, Hay or the Like; Stationary Apparatus or Hand Tools for Forming or Binding Straw, Hay or the Like Into Bundles; Cutting of Straw, Hay or the Like; Storing Agricultural or Horticultural Produce	44,933	2.4%

Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings

Additional Content

Plant plants Any of a kingdom (Plantae) of multicellular eukaryotic mostly photosynthetic organisms typically lacking locomotive movement or obvious nervous or sensory organs and possessing cellulose cell walls.

Related Keywords

AGRICULTUREfarm PRODUCE

12 direct subcodes

Child Classifications

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A01B SOIL WORKING IN AGRICULTURE OR FORESTRY; PARTS, DETAILS, OR ACCESSORIES OF AGRICULTURAL MACHINES OR IMPLEMENTS, IN GENERAL
A01C PLANTING; SOWING; FERTILISING
A01D HARVESTING; MOWING
A01F THRESHING; BALING OF STRAW, HAY OR THE LIKE; STATIONARY APPARATUS OR HAND TOOLS FOR FORMING OR BINDING STRAW, HAY OR THE LIKE INTO BUNDLES; CUTTING OF STRAW, HAY OR THE LIKE; STORING AGRICULTURAL OR HORTICULTURAL PRODUCE
A01G HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING
A01H NEW PLANTS OR PROCESSES FOR OBTAINING THEM; PLANT REPRODUCTION BY TISSUE CULTURE TECHNIQUES
A01J MANUFACTURE OF DAIRY PRODUCTS
A01K ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
A01L SHOEING OF ANIMALS
A01M CATCHING, TRAPPING OR SCARING OF ANIMALS; APPARATUS FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF NOXIOUS ANIMALS OR NOXIOUS PLANTS
A01N PRESERVATION OF BODIES OF HUMANS OR ANIMALS OR PLANTS OR PARTS THEREOF; BIOCIDES, e.g. AS DISINFECTANTS, AS PESTICIDES OR AS HERBICIDES; PEST REPELLANTS OR ATTRACTANTS; PLANT GROWTH REGULATORS
A01P BIOCIDAL, PEST REPELLANT, PEST ATTRACTANT OR PLANT GROWTH REGULATORY ACTIVITY OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS OR PREPARATIONS

Top Applicants

Top 10 applicants by patent filings, 2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT

CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 6,725
JOHN DEERE US 6,555
MONSANTO TECHNOLOGY US 6,280
DOW AGROSCIENCES US 5,260
BASF (BADISCHE ANILIN & SODA FABRIK) DE 5,106
PIONEER HI-BRED INTERNATIONAL US 4,609
KUBOTA CORPORATION 4,458
SYNGENTA PARTICIPATIONS CH 4,341
BAYER CROPSCIENCE DE 4,305
CNH INDUSTRIAL AMERICA US 4,024