John Deere (NYSE: DE) has announced the full acquisition of GUSS Automation, LLC, a California-based leader in supervised autonomy for high-value crops.

The move builds on a joint venture established in 2022 and strengthens Deere’s position in delivering autonomous solutions for orchard and vineyard operations, helping growers address challenges including labour shortages, rising input costs and crop protection demands.

“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, Director, Production Systems – 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.”

Founded in 2018 by Dave Crinklaw, GUSS (Global Unmanned Spray System) manufactures autonomous sprayers that allow one operator to remotely supervise up to eight machines simultaneously. Using GPS, LiDAR and proprietary software, GUSS sprayers navigate orchards and vineyards with precision, reducing operator error, labour costs and chemical waste.

More than 250 GUSS sprayers are already in use worldwide, collectively covering 2.6 million acres and logging over 500,000 autonomous hours. Units have also been deployed in Australia in recent years.

The sprayers will continue to be sold and serviced exclusively through John Deere dealers, with the GUSS brand, employees and Kingsburg, California manufacturing facility retained. John Deere engines, first integrated into the machines in 2024, will continue to power the line-up.

John Deere will support GUSS in expanding its global reach and accelerating innovation, including integration with precision agriculture platforms such as Smart Apply®, which enables targeted spraying and offers potential savings of up to 50% in chemical and water use.

“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.”

With the acquisition, Deere expands its U.S. manufacturing footprint into California’s Central Valley — the heart of high-value crop production — while further building its autonomous solutions portfolio for specialty crop producers worldwide.


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