High-value crop growers are currently facing challenges around labor availability, input costs, and crop protection. | Source: John Deere
John Deere has acquired GUSS Automation, a developer of crop autonomy based in Kingsburg, Calif. Financial details of the acquisition weren’t disclosed. The companies established a joint venture in 2022 and are now taking that commitment a step further.
John Deere is an exclusive provider of GUSS sprayers, and that will continue to be the case after the acquisition. The business will retain its name, brand, employees, and manufacturing facility in Kingsburg. This facility will expand John Deere’s U.S. manufacturing footprint to the heart of the country’s high-value crop production market. High-value crops, such as orchards and vineyards, generate significantly higher value per acre than grains or oilseeds.
“Fully integrating GUSS into the John Deere portfolio is a continuation of our dedication to serving high-value crop customers with advanced, scalable technologies to help them do more with less,” said Julien Le Vely, the director of production systems for high value & small acre crops at John Deere. “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. We’re excited to have them fully part of the John Deere team.”
John Deere said it 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. GUSS sprayers will continue to use John Deere Power Systems engines, first integrated in 2024.
GUSS Automation brings 2.6 million acres of experience
Founded by Dave Crinklaw in 2018, GUSS manufactures autonomous sprayers that can be remotely supervised. A single operator can manage up to eight machines at once. Using GPS, lidar, and proprietary software, the company said its machines navigate vineyards and orchards with precision to help reduce operator error, labor costs, and material waste.
To date, more than 250 GUSS machines have been deployed globally. These machines account for 2.6 million acres sprayed over 500,000 autonomous hours, the company claimed.
“Joining John Deere enables us to tap into their unmatched innovative capabilities in precision agriculture technologies to bring our solutions to more growers around the world,” said Gary Thompson, chief operations officer at GUSS. “Our team is passionate about helping high-value crop growers increase their efficiency and productivity in their operations, and together with John Deere, we will have the ability to have an even greater impact.”
John Deere continues to invest in autonomy for agriculture
This is the latest in a number of robotics companies John Deere has acquired over the years. It acquired Blue River Technology in 2017 for $305 million, Bear Flag Robotics in 2021 for $250 million, and SparkAI in 2023 for an undisclosed amount. Blue River and Bear Flag helped John Deere expand its autonomy capabilities, while SparkAI enhanced human-in-the-loop capabilities.
Earlier this year, at CES 2025, John Deere added full autonomy to the 9 Series tractors. These are the largest and most powerful tractors in the John Deere portfolio. The company asserted that this move demonstrates its commitment to delivering autonomy across its entire product range. John Deere announced the autonomous 8 Series tractor at CES 2022, and it said it has now completed integration of full autonomy for the top of its tractor line.
The company also released a fully autonomous sprayer for orchards, announced pilot testing of an autonomous articulating dump truck (ADT) for mining operations, and launched an all-electric, fully autonomous commercial mower that will be released later this year.
Learn about the latest advances in agricultural robotics at RoboBusiness
This year’s RoboBusiness, which will be on Oct. 15 and 16 in Santa Clara, Calif., will feature a Field Robotics track. Talks in this track will all focus on the various ways robots are being deployed outdoors, whether it be in agriculture, construction, or more.
This year’s Field Robotics track will feature talks from MassRobotics, e-con Systems, ABB Robotics, Autonomous Solutions Inc., Polymath Robotics, SKA Robotics, and ForceN.
RoboBusiness is the premier event for developers and suppliers of commercial robots. The event is produced by WTWH Media, which also produces The Robot Report, Automated Warehouse, and the Robotics Summit & Expo.
This year’s conference will include more than 60 speakers, a startup workshop, the annual Pitchfire competition, and numerous networking opportunities. Over 100 exhibitors on the show floor will showcase their latest enabling technologies, products, and services to help solve your robotics development challenges.
Registration is now open for RoboBusiness 2025.
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