Tyler Hogrefe, Senior Technical Product Manager at John Deere, and Oklahoma Farm Report’s Maci Carter discussed John Deere’s See & Spray Technology and what it can do for farmers.
Sprayers are equipped with cameras and processors so that the sprayer can identify weeds from crops while traveling up to fifteen miles per hour across the field. Once a weed is identified, it actuates a nozzle on the boom to spray only the weed.
“There has been a lot of momentum with See & Spray over the past few years,” Hogrefe said. “We have seen more than a million acres of utilization in the last year alone, with a fifty-nine percent average savings across those acres.”
External studies conducted by Iowa State University noted 76% savings – $15 per acre – from using See & Spray equipment. Beck’s Hybrids conducted their own study and noted $24 per acre savings and a more than 4 bushel per acre yield enhancement.
“That is a lot of value that customers can access right now, regardless of where they are with their operation – buying a new sprayer, a used sprayer, or looking to apply the technology to a sprayer that they already own today,” Hogrefe commented.
The technology has been in the market for several years and is continually improving; however, the studies prove that it is as good as a broadcast application as it is. Recent improvements have been the increase of effective top speed to 15 mph and increased the width of soybean application from fifteen to thirty inches.
“Continuing to improve the product over time is an important part of Seed & Spray, and we will commit to doing it into the future as well,” Hogrefe said.
The specific model of See & Spray a producer needs depends largely on the types of crops and size of the operation. The See & Spray Select model is good for fallow ground as it detects the difference between brown ground and weeds. The See & Spray Premium distinguishes between crops and weeds in a field. The See & Spray Ultimate has two tanks to apply residual herbicides at a constant rate, while simultaneously spot spraying identified weeds.
“With the three different See & Spray technologies that we have, See & Spray Premium can be retrofitted back to model year 2018 machines,” Hogrefe explained. “It does require Direct Apply, which can also be retrofitted, and BoomTrac, but as long as you have that equipment already on your equipment, you can add See & Spray to your equipment for $25,000 to gain the advantages of the See & Spray Technology.”
One of the biggest advantages of See & Spray is the data that comes after the field has been sprayed which shows where the greatest weed pressure was in the field to help with harvest decisions and preparation for the next growing season.
“The number one selling point on See & Spray is the opportunity to help customers advance their profitability with the technology at a time where we know they need it,” Hogrefe said. “Times are tough and there is a lot of pressure on growers. This product helps you unlock value. Not only from an input savings standpoint but also from a yield standpoint.”
Visit the website for more information about See & Spray Technology.
