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Inter-Plant Weeder SA-AI · photo pending manufacturer approval
Weeding · AI-assisted

Inter-Plant Weeder SA-AI

Tractor-mounted, chemical-free in-row weeder from SPAPPERI N.T. S.R.L. (Città di Castello, Italy; est. 1964). A hydraulic PTO-driven frame (1-4 rows) carries per-row "BOX AI" units — a 3D camera plus AI vision developed with Czech partner Ullmanna — that detect each plant's root and drive independent vertical rotary tillers or fixed knives to weed within the row. Spapperi's own brochure calls it both "SA-IA" and "SA-AI"; the product is marketed via that brochure and lead-gen listings rather than a dedicated page on Spapperi's main site as of this check.

Available in: Italy

At a glance

Best for

Commercial vegetable and root-crop growers (Spapperi's own examples include lettuce, cabbage, pumpkin and sugar beet) who already run an appropriately-sized tractor with rear hydraulics and want mechanical in-row weed control without GPS guidance or chemical herbicides.

Avoid if

You need published pricing, a confirmed minimum farm size, or a fully autonomous (driverless) machine — Spapperi discloses no price for the SA-AI, no farm-size threshold, and it is tractor-mounted with a driver required.

Not suitable for

Orchards, vineyards, cereals and broadacre row-crops outside Spapperi's demonstrated vegetable/root-crop use; farms without an existing PTO tractor and rear hydraulic capacity to run the implement.

Specifications

Power sourceTractor PTO-driven hydraulics — dedicated independent hydraulic circuit per weeding element, shared oil tank
Required tractor powerNot disclosed — Spapperi specifies PTO-driven hydraulic transmission but publishes no minimum tractor horsepower figure for the SA-AI
DimensionsNot disclosed — modular frame (1-4 rows, single or double planting-row spacing); overall width/length vary by configuration
WeightNot disclosed
Min farm sizeNot disclosed — no hectare threshold published; the multi-row tractor-mounted design targets commercial vegetable/root-crop operations
Productivity4,500-8,500 plants/hour per row, depending on in-plant spacing
Max speedNot disclosed
Sensors3D camera plus integrated lighting per weeding element ("BOX AI", AI vision by Ullmanna) for day/night plant-root detection; anti-collision sensors on each element arm; central "Power Box" CPU with GPS and internet connectivity
ConnectivityCentral CPU with GPS and internet; Android tablet/smartphone app for setup, per-crop configuration and live camera monitoring; AI crop models update automatically over the internet and are shared across Spapperi's fleet
Compatible toolsPer-row weeding elements on a 3D parallelogram linkage (independent terrain-following and row-alignment, roughly ±10cm each axis); interchangeable vertical rotary tillers (2-4 knives, 80-150mm diameter, up to 75mm working depth) or horizontal fixed knives; optional fertiliser/slug-pellet spreader
Configurations
SA-AI (1-4 row modular frame)Row count configurable 1-4, single or double planting-row spacing; vertical rotary tiller or horizontal fixed-knife weeding-arm kits

Price & ROI

Price (EUR)Not disclosed
Native priceNot disclosed
Price verifiedNot disclosed
Business modelBuy — tractor-mounted implement sold direct from Spapperi NT S.r.l. (Città di Castello, Italy); AI vision developed with Czech partner Ullmanna, integrated as Spapperi's "BOX AI - Ullmanna System"
Ongoing costInterchangeable rotary-tiller/knife wear parts; hydraulic oil and PTO-pump upkeep; AI crop models update automatically over the internet (Spapperi states a new crop can be added in about 6 hours)
MaintenanceNot disclosed — no published service or warranty terms found; support routed through Spapperi direct contact (info@spapperi.com)
Payback modelInter-Plant Weeder SA-AI · SPAPPERI N.T. S.R.L.
No manufacturer payback figure is published for this machine. The model below uses only your inputs.
Your farm

Farm figures carry across machines; the per-machine rates reset when you open a different listing.

Your result · per year
Labour saved
Inputs saved
Total saved

Payback = machine price ÷ (labour + input savings per year). Every figure above is yours to change. FX is indicative.

Verified outcomes

Each result is a before-to-after figure with a time horizon and a cited source. Independently-verified results are marked separately from vendor-claimed ones.

In-row weeding labourLabourper season · Spapperi SA-IA brochure (customer testimonial)
Vendor testimonial states each row unit replaces about 10 manual workersVendor-claimedwas: Manual hand-weeding crews for in-row weed control
Weeding costCostper season · Spapperi SA-IA brochure (vendor claim)
-90%Vendor-claimedConventional manual and/or chemical in-row weeding cost → Vendor states weeding costs are reduced by up to 90%
Chemical use for in-row weed controlHerbicide & crop-protectionongoing · Spapperi SA-IA brochure (vendor claim)
AI-guided mechanical cultivation (rotary tillers/knives) replaces herbicide with zero chemical input in-rowVendor-claimedwas: Herbicide application for weeds growing close to the crop plant

EU context

CE markingNot disclosed — no CE-marking statement found for the SA-AI on Spapperi's site, its brochure, or the dealer-contact page
EU Machinery RegulationNot disclosed — would fall under Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 as a mounted implement with AI-driven functions if placed on the EU market; no explicit compliance statement found
AI Act relevanceNot disclosed — onboard AI vision detects plants/weeds and drives hydraulic actuation (no autonomous vehicle movement); Spapperi does not publish an EU AI Act risk classification
CAP subsidyNot disclosed — mechanical/AI in-row weeding removes herbicide use, which is relevant to CAP eco-schemes rewarding reduced chemical inputs, but Spapperi does not tie the SA-AI to CAP explicitly

Get it

Verified EU dealers
Spapperi NT S.r.l. (direct manufacturer)Via P. Ercolani 5/b, San Secondo di Città di Castello (PG), Italy
Request a quote →
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Evidence

Sources

Specifications cross-checked against manufacturer documentation; listing last verified 2026-07-19.

Demo
No demo video yetWe link a demo only once one is confirmed current.
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