Farm equipment giant John Deere says its “See & Spray” technology, which is a key part of the company’s autonomous offering, was used across “more than 5 million acres of farmland during the 2025 growing season” – a land area larger than the state of New Jersey.
In 2025, John Deere says its customers “reduced non-residual herbicide use by an average of nearly 50 percent – saving nearly 31 million gallons of herbicide mix – demonstrating the power of targeted application, even in a season marked by elevated weed pressure and frequent rains”.
Joshua Ladd, marketing manager for application at John Deere, says: “See & Spray continues to redefine what’s possible in crop protection.
“With See & Spray, farmers can save on input costs, improve weed control, boost yields, and increase their sustainability – all in one pass. Our customers’ results for 2025 show that these benefits are real.”
Precision that pays off
Launched in 2021, See & Spray uses boom-mounted cameras and onboard processors to scan over 2,500 square feet per second at up to 15 miles-per-hour, identifying weeds and triggering individual spray nozzles via Deere’s ExactApply system.
The result? Herbicide is applied only where needed – saving money, reducing waste, protecting crops, and boosting yields.
See & Spray is available via factory installation or a Precision Upgrade kit for MY18 and newer R-series and 400/600 series, existing sprayers and select new John Deere and Hagie sprayers.
Cleaner fields with better yield outcomes – ‘proven’
John Deere recently commissioned research to evaluate the crop health and yield benefits of applying herbicides using See & Spray technology in soybeans.
Using third-party researchers and universities, trials were conducted in seven states, including: Mississippi, Nebraska, Arkansas, Indiana, North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee.
These field studies showed an average yield bump of 2 bushels per acre with an upper range of 4.8 bushels per acre where See & Spray technology was deployed when compared to traditional broadcast spraying.
Targeted application also reduced crop injury, leading to healthier fields and stronger economic returns.
A separate research study – completed by Beck’s Hybrids – also demonstrated yield benefits from applying herbicides using See & Spray technology.
Application savings guarantee
In 2025, John Deere introduced the Application Savings Guarantee – a bold commitment to delivering customer value. With the guarantee, farmers and custom applicators pay for See & Spray, via a per acre fee, when the technology delivers measurable savings.
By aligning the technology cost ($1/fallow acre or $5/in-crop acre) with the benefit delivered by the technology (unsprayed acres), John Deere is even more accountable to deliver ongoing value that is more affordable, accessible, and adaptable.
Ladd says: “With this approach, we’re aligning cost with performance. If See & Spray doesn’t save you money, you don’t pay. It’s that simple.”
New for the 2026 season, See & Spray users can also opt for an Unlimited Annual License designed for high-use operations. This simplifies per-acre planning and gives customers more control over in-season decisions.
Getting better over time
Multiple new features were delivered to users of See & Spray technology via a free software update for the 2025 growing season. Notable feature updates include:
- Above-canopy spray support: Enables targeted spraying of weed escapes and volunteer corn visible above the canopy, improving late-season weed control and harvest conditions
- Expanded corn row spacing: See & Spray now supports corn rows 20 inches or wider
- Faster coverage: See & Spray Premium now operates at speeds up to 15 mph
