MOLINE, Illinois — Deere & Company has formed a joint venture with GUSS Automation, in Kingsburg, Calif. GUSS (Global Unmanned Spray System) is a pioneer in semi-autonomous orchard and vineyard sprayers.
High-value crops (HVCs), such as orchards and vineyards, generate significantly higher value per acre than grains or oilseeds. The three primary high-value crop categories include bedded crops (vegetables and melons), vineyards (grapes and other berries) and orchard crops (almonds, citrus, olives, apples, etc.).
“As demand for high-value crops grows, we see significant opportunities to help growers be more productive while addressing the challenges of increasing labor costs and finding skilled labor 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.”
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.