John Deere’s new See & Spray Select system, available on its new 400 and 600 Series sprayers, allows farmers to save chemicals by directly targeting weeds on fallow ground
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John Deere has bolstered its precision agriculture offering with See & Spray Select; the first commercial application of its See & Spray technology
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Improved spraying has emerged as one of the most powerful paths to transforming the profitability and sustainability of Australia’s farm sector, with recent advances in technology giving farmers the ability to break treatment application down to a plant-by-plant basis.
John Deere says its See & Spray Select system is at the forefront of this new era, providing an effective targeted spray and highly productive broadcast machine built on the foundation of its ExactApply technology, driving efficiency by delivering two dedicated sprayers in one.
Deere says the See & Spray Select system can help reduce herbicide use by an average of 77 per cent by targeting and spraying only weeds on fallow ground.
The company came to that figure after testing two sprayers – one with the See & Spray Select system and one without – over 30,350 hectares of fallow ground with about 7,500 weeds per hectare.
The sprayers had all the latest hardware and software and used small and medium spray-length settings and average growing conditions for the US, Canadian and Australian test sites.
However, the company adds that individual results may vary based on field and growing conditions, weed pressure, spray length settings and software version.
Australia and New Zealand John Deere production system manager — production & precision ag, Ben Kelly, says See & Spray Select’s ability to deliver genuine on-farm efficiencies made it one of the most exciting products to be brought to the Australian farm machinery market in some time.
“What is so exciting about this product is its ability to have an instant impact on the economic and environmental performance of a farming business by more strategically placing herbicides in direct response to what is in the field,” says Kelly.
“This makes a multi-faceted positive contribution to production by reducing chemical use, reducing the time spent in the field, reducing costs and growing sustainability.
“See & Spray Select will allow farmers to genuinely do more with less and to harness the value of applied technology.”
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Ben Kelly, production system manager — production & precision ag, John Deere Australia and New Zealand |
Available for installation on the new model year 2022 John Deere 400 and 600 Series Sprayers, See & Spray Select was developed in collaboration with the University of Southern Queensland.
Its integrated camera rapidly detects green in fallow paddocks and automatically triggers a spot application of herbicide, while also giving the operator the ability to switch to traditional broadcast spraying when there is increased weed pressure.
This allows farmers and contractors to apply complex tank mixes more efficiently, without leaving the cab. Research has shown that weeds sprayed with complex tank mixes with more than two modes are 83 times less likely to develop resistance.
A 400 or 600 Series Sprayer factory equipped with See & Spray Select is the only original equipment manufacturer solution that delivers this capability in the Australian and New Zealand market.
“See & Spray Select has been built on the strong foundation of John Deere ExactApply, which has allowed us to provide farmers with the ultimate sprayer machine, making it the industry’s first factory-installed targeted-spray solution,” says Kelly.
“See & Spray Select is one of a number of other complementary features on the 400 and 600 Series Sprayer including factory-installed John Deere AutoTrac to keep the sprayer in the row for precise product placement, while ExactApply technology means operators can more accurately control droplet size, spray pressure and individual nozzles.”
See & Spray Select can be equipped on the 408R, 410R, 412R, 612R and 616R, each of which comes from the factory with fully incorporated precision agriculture technology to support farmers in making informed agronomic and equipment decisions. Kelly says it is this integration of hard iron and digital technology that unlocked the true value of precision farming.
“With streaming to the Cloud every 30 seconds, John Deere’s Digital Ecosystem, including the John Deere Operations Center, connects equipment, people and information to enable near real-time data collection,” he says.
“Using a targeted-spray solution and the Digital Ecosystem, a producer can record herbicide use down to a single spray nozzle. If a producer is using connected equipment for all seasonal operations, it is possible to record inputs and outputs over the duration of the season.
“From there, the producer can analyse that data, or share it with a trusted advisor, such as an agronomist, to make more informed decision for future seasons, ultimately improving efficiency and profitability.”
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The John Deere 412R sprayer has been released to equip producers with tools for more precise and efficient spraying |
400 AND 600 SERIES SPRAYERS
Alongside the launch of See & Spray Select, John Deere recently released a new 400 and 600 Sprayer Series line-up to equip producers with tools for more precise and efficient spraying.
Kelly says the new models have been introduced to deliver enhanced operator comfort, high-quality application and the most machine uptime possible.
“The new boom recirculation feature on the sprayers, ensures product is kept in suspension, so the boom is always primed and ready to spray. This is combined with the air purge system, which improves cleanout, saving time and reducing waste,” he says.
The new models include three new 400 (408R, 410R and 412R) and two new 600 (612R and 616R) Series Sprayers, with tank sizes ranging from 3,000 to 6,000 litres, depending on the model.
Compared to previous models, the upgraded sprayers maintain application quality by delivering more power to the ground when and where it is needed, such as on hills, while using less fuel and providing a quieter work environment for the operator.
The John Deere 400 and 600 Series Sprayers have CommandDrive powertrains to reduce engine revs and save fuel while maintaining a consistent speed and spray pattern.
All 400 and 600 Series Sprayers are able to be used as part of the John Deere Ecosystem and come standard with a JDLink connection, integrated StarFire 6000 GPS receiver, Generation 4 CommandCenter display and free access to the John Deere Operations Center to allow customers to easily view and monitor equipment performance, and to inform agronomic decisions.
The new 400 and 600 Sprayer Series are available to order now. For more information visit the John Deere website or contact your local John Deere Dealer.
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The John Deere 612R sprayer |