Deere Buys GUSS Automation Platform

John Deere announced this week that it has purchased GUSS Automation, a supervised high-value crop autonomy provider, headquartered in Kingsburg, California.

"GUSS brings a proven solution to a fast-growing segment of agriculture, and its team has a deep understanding of customer needs in orchards and vineyards," Julien Le Vely, director of production systems, high value and small acre crops at John Deere, said in a news release. "We're excited to have them fully part of the John Deere team."

Founded by Dave Crinklaw in 2018, GUSS manufactures autonomous sprayers that can be remotely supervised by a single operator. One operator can manage up to eight machines from a single laptop. Using GPS, LiDAR, vehicle sensors and proprietary software, GUSS machines navigate vineyards and orchards with precision to help reduce operator error, manage labor costs and control material waste.

LiDAR, which stands for light detection and ranging, is a remote sensing technology that uses laser light pulses to measure distances and create detailed 3D models. It supplements GPS systems that may be impaired from time to time as GUSS works below dense tree canopies.

GUSS autonomous machines follow field maps that can be built off-site and then ground-truthed in the field. The map can be saved and used for the life of the orchard.

More than 250 GUSS machines have been deployed globally, accounting for 2.6 million acres sprayed over 500,000 autonomous hours.

GUSS brings several applications to the field. In the orchard, GUSS detects and sprays trees. In this configuration, GUSS is approximately 24 feet long, 8 feet wide and 6 feet tall. Herbicide GUSS is sized similarly to Orchard Guss. It detects, targets and spot-sprays weeds. Mini GUSS offers the precision and efficiency of Orchard GUSS but is built 25% smaller to easily roll through high-density orchards, vineyards and berry operations.

Deere's acquisition of GUSS builds on an existing joint venture established between the two manufacturers in 2022. John Deere will support GUSS in expanding its global reach and accelerating innovation, including continued integration with other John Deere precision agriculture technologies, such as Smart Apply, which enables targeted spraying of weeds.

GUSS sprayers will continue to use John Deere Power Systems engines, first integrated in 2024.

GUSS sprayers will continue to be sold and serviced exclusively through John Deere dealers, as they are today. GUSS Automation will retain its name, brand, employees and manufacturing facility in Kingsburg, California.

For more information about GUSS solutions, farmers can contact their local John Deere dealer.

Dan Miller can be reached at dan.miller@dtn.com

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