NEWS RELEASE March 07, 2022
John Deere launches See & SprayTM Ultimate technology
Crestmead, Queensland (7 March, 2022) – John Deere has unveiled the next iteration of spraying technology to enable targeted treatment of non-residual herbicide on weeds, with the limited release of the See & Spray Ultimate factory-installed system on John Deere 410R, 412R and 612R Sprayers in the United States, for model year 2023.
In Australia in 2021, John Deere released See & Spray Select, a targeted spray solution for weeds in fallow ground. The latest release of See & Spray Ultimate takes this to the next level by targeting green weeds in green crop.
Suited, at this time, to use in cotton, corn and soybean crops, See & Spray Ultimate's targeted spray innovation was designed by Blue River Technology, a wholly owned subsidiary of John Deere.
John Deere Precision Ag Segment Manager, Ben Kelly, said See & Spray technologies, like autonomous machinery, would grow to become a keystone within the suite of precision agriculture tools available to farmers, to optimise performance and sustainability.
"This is an exciting advancement that is part of a spraying journey that has, over time, moved from broadcast spraying to individual nozzle control with ExactApply™, to now targeting individual plants using artificial intelligence and machine learning," Mr Kelly said.
Like See & Spray Select, See & Spray Ultimate has cameras and processors mounted on the boom. There is one camera mounted every one metre across the width of the boom. On a 36-metre boom (120-foot) this equates to the ability to scan 195 square metres (2,100 square feet) per second at 19 kilometres per hour.
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See & Spray Ultimate is John Deere’s green on green solution, while See & Spray Select detects green on brown.
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See & Spray Select allows farmers to efficiently apply complex tank mixes and to switch from targeted to broadcast spraying without leaving the cab
Operating at this speed, See & Spray Ultimate's targeted spray technology can help farmers reduce non-residual herbicide use in season by more than two thirds, while maintaining a hit rate comparable to traditional spraying. This decreased herbicide use can significantly lower input costs and reduce the number of refills helping to cover more hectares per day.
"While the initial results being seen in the US are extremely impressive and we understand that in-crop weed control is a priority for Australian farmers, it is going to take time to iterate and scale this technology into local regions," Mr Kelly said.
"For Australian farmers, the exciting news is that the first of the See & Spray Select equipped sprayers are arriving right now. These were launched in limited quantities last year but will be widely available to order in mid-2022."
Built on the strong foundation of John Deere's ExactApply, and in collaboration with the University of Southern Queensland, See & Spray Select rapidly detects only green vegetation within fallow ground and triggers an application to those plants. In doing so, it uses an average 77%* less herbicide, while providing two time-saving sprayers in one.
Using See & Spray Select, farmers can apply more expensive and complex tank mixes more efficiently, and easily switch from targeted to broadcast spraying without leaving the cab. A 400 or 600 Series Sprayer factory equipped with See & Spray Select is the only Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) solution which delivers this capability.
"After our initial launch and local demonstrations last year, we are looking forward to seeing the positive impact See & Spray Select technology will have for our customers this season and are excited about what the future journey with See & Spray Ultimate can deliver," Mr Kelly said.
For more information about See & Spray Select, visit the John Deere website or speak to your local John Deere dealer.
* Based on tank-level sensor values taken at a steady state on John Deere sprayers equipped with and without See & Spray™ Select, before and after covering 30,351 hectares (75,000 acres) of fallow ground with a typical weed pressure of 7,500 weeds per hectare (3,000 weeds per acre), using small and medium spray-length settings starting at 2.3 to 3.2 ft. (0.7 to 1 m), and average growing conditions (seasonal precipitation and temperature) across the US Plains. Spray-length settings varied based on ground speed, spray pressure, and boom height. Sprayers were equipped with current hardware and software at time of study. Individual results may vary based on field and growing conditions, weed pressure, spray-length settings, and software version.
About Deere & Company:
Deere & Company is a global leader in the delivery of agricultural, golf & turf, construction, and forestry equipment. We help our customers push the boundaries of what's possible in ways that are more productive and sustainable to help life leap forward. Our technology-enabled products including the John Deere Autonomous 8R Tractor and See & Spray™ are just two of the ways we help meet the world's increasing need for food, shelter, and infrastructure. Deere & Company also provides financial services through John Deere Financial. For more information, visit John Deere at its worldwide website at JohnDeere.com or in Australia at JohnDeere.com.au.
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Stacey Wordsworth
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