John Deere showcased See & Spray at SIMA for the first time on its European weed sprayers built in Horst (Netherlands).

The system for Europe is based on the See & Spray Select technology already introduced in the USA. It uses camera technology to detect colour differences in the field.

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.

The green detection on the field soil enables a targeted application of pre-emergence herbicides. All weeds that are also visible to the naked eye are detected by the cameras.

See & Spray is not only suitable for pre-emergence treatment – it can also be used in row crops after emergence. The crop rows can be extracted by the sprayer and thus the weeds between the rows can be targeted and treated.

The system has already been tested on about 120,000 hectares worldwide. The success in application is comparable to broadcast spray, but with a saving of up to two thirds of consumption.

First tests in Europe showed the same results.

From spring 2023 See & Spray will be available on a limited basis for the European R900i series trailed sprayers with 36- and 39-meter booms and will then be offered as an option for various John Deere sprayers from Horst in the future.