A01C PLANTING; SOWING; FERTILISING
Introduced: September 1968
Classification Context
- Section:
- HUMAN NECESSITIES
- Class:
- AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
- Subclass:
- PLANTING; SOWING; FERTILISING
Description
Subclass A01C covers machinery, devices, and methods for planting seeds, sowing crops, and applying fertilizers to soil. This includes mechanical seeders, planters, drills, transplanters, and equipment for distributing fertilizers, manure, or soil amendments. Technologies for precision agriculture, seed spacing control, and depth adjustment mechanisms fall within this scope, as do implements drawn by animals or tractors for large-scale agricultural operations. Related classification A01B addresses primary soil preparation (ploughing, tilling), while A01D covers harvesting and post-harvest processing.
Filing statistics
IPC subclass A01C recorded 176,270 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings grew from 6,385 in 2013 to 19,652 in 2023 (+208%), peaking at 22,988 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
Additional Content
Parts, details or accessories of agricultural machines or implements, in general
Related Keywords
13 direct subcodes
Child Classifications
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- A01C 1/00 Apparatus, or methods of use thereof, for testing or treating seed, roots, or the like, prior to sowing or planting
- A01C 11/00 Transplanting machines
- A01C 13/00 Machines or apparatus for consolidating soil around plants
- A01C 14/00 Methods or apparatus for planting not provided for in other groups of this subclass
- A01C 15/00 Fertiliser distributors
- A01C 17/00 Fertilisers or seeders with centrifugal wheels
- A01C 19/00 Arrangements for driving working parts of fertilisers or seeders
- A01C 21/00 Methods of fertilising
- A01C 23/00 Distributing devices specially adapted for liquid manure or other fertilising liquid, including ammonia, e.g. transport tanks or sprinkling wagons
- A01C 3/00 Treating manure; Manuring
- A01C 5/00 Making or covering furrows or holes for sowing, planting, or manuring
- A01C 7/00 Sowing
- A01C 9/00 Potato planters
Top Applicants
Top 10 applicants by patent filingsfor class A01, 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