John Deere has acquired California-based GUSS Automation, best known for its semi-autonomous sprayer that works with high-value crop categories such as orchards, vineyards, and bedded crops (aka vegetables and melons).
The acquisition follows a joint venture between the two companies that began in 2022 as a way to address efficiency and labor issues among growers of such crops.
GUSS, founded in 2018 and headquartered in California’s San Joaquin Valley, is best known for its autonomous sprayers built specifically for such crops. One operator can remotely manage up to eight sprayers at once, thanks to a combination of GPS, LiDAR, vehicle sensors, and “proprietary software,” according to GUSS. The company says it has deployed more than 250 machines globally to date, accounting for 2.6 million acres sprayed over 500,000 autonomous hours.
Its “Orchard GUSS” and “mini GUSS” blast sprayers already come with the option of adding Deere’s Smart Apply system, which can enable more precise application of pesticides and herbicides and thereby reduce overall chemical usage in an orchard or vineyard. Since last year, these sprayers have also come equipped with John Deere Power Systems engines.
Deere said in a statement that GUSS sprayers will continue to be sold and serviced exclusively through John Deere dealers (which they are currently), and that the business will retain its name, brand, employees and manufacturing facility in Kingsburg, California.
Joining John Deere will widen access to potential customers for GUSS, said GUSS COO Gary Thompson.
For Deere, the acquisition brings deeper expertise and customer relationships in the high-value crop arena, the company said.
“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, production systems, high value & small acre crops at Deere, told AgFunderNews.
California stars
The acquisition comes on the heels of last week’s announcement that John Deere had become the exclusive OEM partner of The Reservoir, an ag innovation hub slated to open soon in Salinas, California.
A combination investor, robotics studio, and startup incubator, The Reservoir aims to help ag robotics and automation startups tear down many of the barriers to commercialization and bringing innovations to market. Like GUSS, The Reservoir is focused on the high-value crop segment, with special emphasis on California growers.
As exclusive OEM partner, Deere will get exclusive access to early-stage startups developing automation and robotics tools for this area.
The ag robotics sector in California has been a busy one of late overall. Last month, TRIC Robotics announced new funding that will enable it to expand across the state’s strawberry fields, while Saga Robotics netted $11.2 million to expand its fleet of ‘bots blasting powdery mildew in California’s vineyards with UV-C light.
And San Jose-based Bonsai Robotics acquired farm-ng, which has developed a lightweight, multi-purpose ‘bot for specialty crops.
Away from the field but still part of California agrifoodtech, Shinkei Systems is expanding its robotic fishing operation, while Sam Altman-backed Coco Robotics is building out its last-mile delivery fleet after $80 million in fresh funding.
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