More than three dozen U.S. John Deere dealerships will now sell the GUSS autonomous sprayer. The company says the Herbicide GUSS is the first and only autonomous orchard herbicide applicator.
In April 2022, John Deere announced a joint venture with GUSS.
“The announcement of Herbicide GUSS underscores why we are so excited to have GUSS as part of our High Value Crop solutions lineup,” said Greg Christensen, John Deere Marketing Manager for 5 Series Tractors and High Value Crops. “The GUSS team has years and depth of experience in the high-value crop spraying business. They were their own first customers, so they are able to solve true customer needs very quickly. Orchard and vineyard customers in the high-value crop space face many labor, safety and sustainability challenges. GUSS, Mini GUSS and now Herbicide GUSS can help producers overcome these challenges.”
The Herbicide GUSS is designed to provide an autonomous spray setup which reduces the volume of herbicide applied. On the machine, nine sensors detect, target and spot spray weeds on the orchard floor. The GUSS system is engineered to use LIDAR technology to stay in the row.
The GUSS system allows one operator to monitor up to eight GUSS sprayers from a laptop.
“Growers have been asking for an autonomous herbicide machine. We took that concept to the next level by implementing weed detection technology to give the grower a machine that provides immense value. Lower chemical usage helps the grower reduce costs and is a benefit to the environment,” said Gary Thompson, COO at GUSS Automation.
The machine is 23.5’ long and 6.5’ tall. Its boom is adjustable from 8.3’ to 19’ wide and it features a breakaway mechanism.
