John Deere enables targeted spraying on weeds

See & Spray Ultimate’s targeted spray technology was designed by Blue River Technology, a wholly owned subsidiary of John Deere. Cameras and processors mounted on John Deere’s new carbon-fiber truss-style boom utilise computer vision and machine learning to detect weeds from crop plants. There is one camera mounted every one meter across the width of the boom, which equates to 36 cameras on a 120-foot boom scanning more than 2,100 square feet at once. The accuracy of the target spray is enhanced by BoomTrac Ultimate, the new boom height control system from John Deere.

“While operating at up to 12 mph, See & Spray Ultimate’s targeted spray technology can help farmers reduce their non-residual herbicide use by more than two thirds and maintain a hit rate comparable to traditional spraying,” said Peitz. “For farmers, this decreased herbicide use can significantly lower herbicide costs, reduce tendering stops, and helps them cover more acres per day.”

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Split tank with dual-product capability

Another key component of See & Spray Ultimate is the split tank with dual-product capability, which is to help farmers better control weeds and battle herbicide resistance. “We executed several strip trials, and in one strip trial in Illinois soybeans we compared the weed control results of a broadcast, single tank mix to See & Spray Ultimate’s dual product solution system,” Peitz said. “The single tank mix had three modes of action and with dual product we were able to add a fourth mode of action that wouldn’t be as effective with a one tank mix due to antagonism. The See & Spray Ultimate dual product pass with the fourth mode of action resulted in 7% better weed control than the broadcast pass, providing better yield protection for the farmer. Through the addition of another mode of action, chances for herbicide resistance development are also reduced, adding another layer of yield protection for the future.”

1,200 and 1,000 gallons

Two tank options are available, 1,200 and 1,000 gallons. The 1,200-gallon option is split into a 450-gallon tank for targeted spraying and a 750-gallon tank for broadcast spraying. The 1,000-gallon option is split into a 350-gallon tank for targeted spraying and a 650-gallon tank broadcast spraying.

“Farmers can apply a residual broadcast application and non-residual targeted application in a pre-emergence pass or targeted spray only as a clean-up pass. This also allows farmers to rethink their fungicide and liquid fertiliser passes,” Peitz said.

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SF-RTK

John Deere MY23 Sprayers come factory equipped with JDLink connectivity, plus a new integrated StarFire 7000 GPS receiver, and Generation 4 CommandCenter display. The StarFire 7000 receiver brings to market a new type of RTK signal, SF-RTK. According to HJohn Deere, SF-RTK is the easiest RTK solution to use relying solely on satellite communication. These technologies combined enable the operator to reduce overlap and maximize inputs all with less stress.

Compare weed map to yield map

As See & Spray Ultimate travels across the field, the Generation 4 Display allows a farmer to analyse savings by seeing how much ground was covered compared to how much was sprayed. After a pass is made, a map showing weed pressure within each field is available in John Deere Operations Center. This enables a farmer to compare the weed map to their yield map and make decisions about their weed-control program. Peitz said these analytical tools provide insights to make more-informed field management decisions year after year.