Agras T70P vs ICARO X4
Two spraying machines, one verified table. Every figure below is sourced and dated; vendor claims are labelled and kept apart from independent results.
DJI's 70 kg-payload spray-spread-lift drone (global launch July 2025) — 70 L spray tank, 100 L spread hopper, dual millimetre-wave radar and tri-vision obstacle sensing.
Best for: Contractors and larger growers who outgrew the T50 and want one aircraft for spraying, spreading and heavy lifting.Italian hybrid diesel-electric robot from Free Green Nature (Colle Umberto, Treviso — coordinated by parent Maschio Gaspardo S.p.a.) that patrols vineyards autonomously and folds out UV-C panels to actively prevent powdery mildew, downy mildew and botrytis, triggered by an onboard weather station ("the Commander of ICARO X4") reading conditions favourable to infection. It is a prevention system, not a curative treatment, and the manufacturer does not publish independent field-performance data — chemical-reduction figures found are vendor-stated.
Best for: Vineyard growers on a single contiguous block up to roughly 10-15 ha who want to cut fungicide/pesticide spray rounds against powdery mildew, downy mildew and botrytis by substituting or supplementing them with UV-C light treatment.| Agras T70P Verified 2026-07-16 | ICARO X4 Verified 2026-07-19 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Task | Spraying | Spraying |
| Autonomy | AI-assisted | Fully autonomous |
| Country of origin | China | Italy |
| Availability | Available now | Pilot / limited |
| EU market | CE-marked | Pending |
| Lead time | ~4 wk | Not disclosed |
| Last verified | 2026-07-16 | 2026-07-19 |
| Specifications | ||
| Power source | Swappable battery (DB1580 30 Ah / DB2160 41 Ah, 52 V) | Hybrid — electric drive motors with a 2-cylinder Kohler diesel range extender |
| Required tractor power | Not applicable | Not required (self-propelled hybrid unit) |
| Dimensions | 3.20 × 3.52 × 0.96 m unfolded | Approx. 3085 x 1550 x 1150-2700 mm (L x W x H, UV panels raised); track width ~1500 mm; turning radius ~900 mm; rated for slopes over 15% (per AgTecher/RobotToday listings — not confirmed on the manufacturer site) |
| Weight | 52–56 kg (dry, by battery) | Not disclosed |
| Min farm size | 5 ha | Not disclosed |
| Productivity | Up to 18 ha/hour (spraying) | Up to 10-15 ha coverage per unit for preventive treatment (property layout, slope and soil-dependent); up to 72 continuous hours of operation before refuelling/recharging |
| Max speed | 20 m/s | 2 km/h |
| Sensors | D-RTK 3 AG (0.8 cm) · front + rear millimetre-wave radar · tri-vision system | RTK positioning (centimetre-level, works without satellite signal per vendor); 4 AI-equipped cameras for pedestrian/obstacle detection; SIL2-certified radar; integrated weather station (wind, temperature, humidity, dew point, rainfall) driving an infection-risk algorithm that triggers treatment |
| Price & model | ||
| Price (EUR) | ≈€50,000 | Not disclosed |
| Native price | US$53,999 (US dealer combo) | Not disclosed |
| Business model | Buy via dealer · combos bundle batteries + charger/generator | Direct inquiry/quote purchase — Free Green Nature assesses a vineyard's coverage via drone survey before pricing; no price is published (a €115,000 indicative figure circulates on the AgTecher directory only — not manufacturer-confirmed). The company is actively recruiting agricultural-machinery dealers and service centres (no established dealer network found) |
| Ongoing cost | Battery replacement by cycle count; pump/nozzle consumables | Kohler diesel range-extender fuel and servicing; UV panel and weather-station upkeep — costs not published |
| Key outcome | ||
| Best verified result | Spray tank payload vs Agras T50 +75% · vendor | Chemical fungicide/pesticide use in treated vineyard blocks up to -70% (vendor-stated; not confirmed on the manufacturer's own site, which states only a qualitative "reduction or elimination of pesticides") · vendor |
| EU context | ||
| CE marking | CE marked (2025) | Not disclosed — no CE marking statement found on the manufacturer site or in trade coverage |
| Machinery Regulation | UAS regime applies; EASA Open/Specific category rather than Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 alone | No explicit compliance statement found; the machine is marketed and sold within the EU (Italy), so would fall under Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 autonomous-machine provisions if placed on the market |
| CAP subsidy | Aerial PPP application restricted under the Sustainable Use Directive — derogations vary by member state | Fungicide/pesticide-reduction positioning may support IPM-linked CAP eco-scheme measures, though no direct CAP reference found in manufacturer materials |
"—" means the manufacturer has not disclosed the figure; we never estimate silently. Model either machine's payback with your own numbers on its ROI calculator page.