Source: John Deere news release
OLATHE, Kansas — John Deere (NYSE: DE) announced its See & Spray technology saved farmers an estimated 8 million gallons of herbicide mix on more than 1 million acres applied during the 2024 growing season, delivering both cost savings and improved sustainability. To put that into perspective, these savings are the equivalent of 12 Olympic-sized swimming pools over an area larger than the state of Rhode Island. The AI-powered weed-sensing technology demonstrated an average herbicide savings of 59% on corn, soybean and cotton fields across the U.S.
“We’re spraying less chemical, it’s [See & Spray] saving us money, and it’s better for the environment,” said Bill Came, a farmer from Salina, Kansas. “We ran through our herbicide costs we were going to have and dropped them by two-thirds. That is going to make our sprayer payment.”
Introduced by John Deere in 2021, See & Spray technology activates individual spray nozzles when target weeds are “seen” by boom-mounted cameras. The cameras scan over 2,100 square feet of crop per second as the sprayer is in motion, at up to 15 mph. Onboard processors then determine whether an individual plant is a crop or weed and sends commands to individual ExactApply nozzles, which deliver a precise dose of herbicide only where the weed is recognized. The technology is currently available for application on corn, soybean, cotton and fallow fields.
Importantly, customers using See & Spray only pay for the acres where it is used. This enables farmers to only pay for what they need, and ensures they continue to see value as the technology improves over time. In 2025, John Deere will also introduce the Application Savings Guarantee, which will give customers added peace of mind by ensuring they only pay for the technology when there is a savings in application.
“We looked at what we were spending on postemergence weed control and felt we could justify this [technology] if we sprayed only 50% of our acres post,” said Chad Buendorf, a farmer from New Richland, Minnesota. “In the end, we only sprayed 11% of our corn acres with postemergence herbicide and averaged only spraying 20% of our soybeans with both applications.”
See & Spray technology gives farmers and custom applicators a powerful tool to maximize cost efficiency and in-field productivity. According to a recent Iowa State University study, See & Spray technology demonstrated an average of 76% product savings across all test fields and an economic savings of $15.7/ac. And by targeting herbicide application only to weeds in the field, farmers can better support land stewardship and sustainability practices as well.
See & Spray Ultimate, which includes a 120 ft. carbon fiber boom and dual-tank solution, is available on John Deere sprayers from the factory. See & Spray Premium is available on both John Deere and Hagie sprayers from the factory and as a Precision Upgrade on model year 2018 or newer John Deere sprayers with a 120 ft. steel boom with BoomTrac Pro 2, ExactApply nozzles and 15″ or 20″ row spacing.
For more information on See & Spray technology, visit your local John Deere dealer or deere.com.
About Deere & Company
Deere & Company (www.JohnDeere.com) is a global leader in the delivery of agricultural, 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 John Deere Autonomous 8R Tractor, See & Spray, and E-Power Backhoe are just some 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.
