John Deere forms joint venture with GUSS Automation

Deere & Company has formed a joint venture with GUSS Automation in Kingsburg, California. GUSS (Global Unmanned Spray System) is a pioneer in semi-autonomous sprayers for orchards and vineyards, considered "high value crops" (HVCs). In many cases, such crops generate significantly higher value per acre than grains or oilseeds.

"As demand for high-value crops grows, we see significant opportunities to help producers be more productive while addressing the challenges of rising labor costs and finding skilled labor to operate equipment " said Chris Davison, director of small tractor and HVC production systems at John Deere.

“The GUSS team has a deep understanding of the high-value agricultural production system, as well as strong customer relationships 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 faster and more 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 variable terrain with adjustable software parameters.

“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,” said Davison.

GUSS was founded in 2018 and has approximately 35 full-time employees. GUSS will maintain its employees, brand and trademark and will continue to operate in its current location. GUSS employees, customers and business partners should notice few changes to daily operations resulting from the joint venture.

More information about GUSS can be seen here.