John Deere has formed a joint venture with Guss Automation to further develop the Global Unmanned Spray System (GUSS) which can be used semi-autonomously for orchard and vineyard spraying.
According to the collaboration, high-value crops, such as orchards and vineyards, generate significantly higher value per acre than grains or oilseeds.
Multiple GUSS sprayers can be remotely supervised by a single operator, allowing growers to spray orchards and vineyards more quickly and consistently, using fewer resources and reducing costs by eliminating operator error and downtime. The machines also control application rates and sprayer speeds across entire fields and in variable terrain with adjustable software parameters.
“As demand for high-value crops grows, we see significant opportunities to help growers be more productive while addressing the challenges of increasing labour costs and finding skilled labour to operate equipment,” said Chris Davison, director, small tractor & HVC production systems, at John Deere.
“The GUSS team has a deep understanding of the high-value crop production system, as well as strong relationships with customers and a proven track record of deploying innovative technology.”
Through a joint venture, Deere will help Guss further collaborate with the Deere sales channel and Guss will continue its innovation and product development to best serve customers.
“Deere and Guss are both committed to investing in innovation and technology to help farmers be more productive and profitable while growing more food using fewer resources,” Davison added.
Guss will retain its employees, brand name, and trademark, and continue to operate from its current location. Deere stressed that Guss employees, customers, and business partners should notice little change in daily operations resulting from the joint venture.
