Deere, GUSS form joint venture

Deere & Company has formed a joint venture with GUSS (Global Unmanned Spray System) Automation, LLC, which provides semi-autonomous orchard and vineyard sprayers.

Through this joint venture, Deere will help GUSS further collaborate with the Deere sales channel, and GUSS will continue its innovation and product development to best serve customers.

“As demand for High-Value Crops, called HVCs, grows, we see significant opportunities to help growers be more productive while addressing the challenges of increasing labor costs and finding skilled labor to operate equipment,” said Chris Davison, director of small tractor and HVC production systems, at John Deere.

HVCs, such as orchards and vineyards, generate significantly higher value per acre than grains or oilseeds, the company said. The three primary HVC categories include bedded crops such as vegetables and melons; vineyards, such as grapes and other berries; and orchard crops, like citrus, olives and apples.

Multiple GUSS sprayers can be remotely supervised by a single operator, allowing growers to spray orchards and vineyards more quickly and consistently, using fewer resources and reducing costs by eliminating operator error and downtime, said Deere.

“The GUSS team has a deep understanding of the high-value crop production system, as well as strong relationships with customers and a proven track record of deploying innovative technology,” said Davison.

“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,” Davison said.

GUSS employees, customers, and business partners should notice little change in daily operations resulting from the joint venture, said Deere.

Based in Kingsburg, California, GUSS was founded in 2018 and has approximately 35 full-time employees. GUSS will retain its employees, brand name, and trademark, and continue to operate from its current location.

Moline, Illinois-based Deere & Company is a global deliverer of agricultural, construction and forestry equipment. “We help our customers push the boundaries of what’s possible in ways that are more productive and sustainable to help life leap forward.”