At this year's SIMA Show in Paris, John Deere showed off its new See and Spray technology for its sprayer ranges.

Claiming it as the 'next important step towards precise crop protection', this uses camera technology to detect colour differences in the field and to spray accordingly.

The cameras and other hardware components are integrated directly into the boom, or chassis of the machine. One camera is mounted per metre of working width, which captures green plants at lightning speed.

Processors handle the images and the nozzles are triggered individually for spot treatment. This green detection on field soil enables targeted application of pre-emergence herbicides as weeds that are also visible to the naked eye are detected by the cameras.

It is not just suitable for pre-emergence treatment and can also be used in row crops after emergence, said JD. The crop rows can be extracted by the sprayer's 'eyes' and thus weeds between rows can be targeted and treated, up until the canopy closes.

Already been tested on about 120,000 ha worldwide, John Deere said the success in application was comparable to broadcast spraying, but with a saving of up to two-thirds of chemicals.

The system documents the application of herbicides using the in-cab Gen 4 display, creating a coverage map with information on where the herbicide has been applied. This can be transferred, via JDLinkTM,to the John Deere Operations Center, allowing sub-areas with increased weed pressure to be identified and future measures optimised.

See and Spray Select is already sold with the self-propelled sprayers in the US and these will be the first on the market in Central Europe this year. From spring, 2023, it will be available on a limited basis for the European R900i series trailed sprayers with 36m and 39m booms and will then be offered as an option for various John Deere sprayers from Horst in the future.