John Deere is rolling out changes to its See & Spray service, designed to help farmers precisely apply herbicides, and making numerous updates to its model year 2027 (MY27) sprayers.
Launched in 2021, See & Spray uses AI, machine learning, and boom-mounted cameras to precisely apply herbicides, initially available for corn, cotton, and soybean, and expanded to barley, canola, sugar beets, peanuts, and wheat with the Gen 2 release, the company shared.
The See & Spray service will now be available through a single platform, See & Spray Gen 2, removing the previous Select, Premium, and Ultimate options, for John Deere 400 and 600 series sprayers, Josh Ladd, marketing manager for application equipment at John Deere, told AgTechNavigator. John Deere customers will still have access to the service through an unlimited annual license or a usage-based rate, for these sprayers, he added.
John Deere 400 and 600 series sprayers customers will have access to the full suite of See & Spray capabilities across those previous options, including Variable Rate, which leverages the systems’ cameras to determine how much herbicide a crop needs, the company shared.
“For customers that have already had Variable Rate, they will continue to see that offered as we move forward into model year 27 with the inclusion of now all of the in-crop capabilities that Ultimate and Premium were previously able to offer. But for a lot of our green-on-green customers, this will be the first year that they will be able to benefit from Variable Rate as we bring the systems together,” Ladd elaborated.
How John Deere is helping farmers with input costs
The release of See & Spray Gen 2 comes as farmers grapple with rising input costs, amid trade uncertainty and market volatility.
Last year, John Deere See & Spray was used on over 5 million acres, saving growers and applicators 31 million gallons of herbicide mix for the 2025 harvest, as AgTechNavigator previously reported. See & Spray is bringing tangible cost-savings benefits to growers, improving margins and creating opportunities to re-invest in operations, Ladd noted.
“Across that 5 million acres, we reduced the non-residual herbicide by nearly 50%,” Ladd said. “In a year where customers have very important decisions that they need to make, knowing that there is a level of savings that they can achieve for application does give them flexibility to the operation.”
Additionally, farmers are seeing yield increases from the use of See & Spray technology, including an average of two additional bushels of soybean per acre, according to a trial published in a white paper, Ladd noted.
“We always knew the savings were there for See & Spray ─ that was one of the foundational pillars for the technology. But now, we are able to take that through to yield and say, ‘Hey, not only are you able to spray less on the non-residual side, but that reduction in application is also now attributing to a better yield outcome.’" Ladd said.
He added, “It is that combination. It is the savings paired with the better outcome that really gives them flexibility elsewhere in the operation, and come harvest, hopefully puts … more dollars in their pocket.”
When See & Spray Gen 2 will hit John Deere sprayers
See & Spray Gen 2 will be available on John Deere 408R, 410R, 412R, 612R, and 616R sprayers for MY27, and Hagie sprayers, including the STS12, STS16, and STS20, will feature a factory-installation option for See & Spray Premium.
Additionally, farmers can customise their machines to include a single- or dual-tank configuration with additional options, like full bloom lighting — ideal for nighttime operations — and ExactApply or Individual Nozzle Control Pro nozzle systems.
John Deere’s early order programme typically starts in May, and machines ordered will be built the following months, with some machines arriving at the end of the spraying season and the majority being delivered at the start of next season, Ladd explained.
John Deere makes broader sprayer updates
John Deere also made several other additions for its MY27 sprayers, including optional full boom lighting and speeds up to 16 miles per hour, depending on crop and configuration. Additionally, the sprayers will have a new centre-frame camera to improve detection and reduce dust interference, which will be available for MY18 to MY26 sprayers through a Precision Upgrade Kit.
Additionally, John Deere is improving mobility for its sprayers, including adding a four-wheel steering option to the 400 Series chassis, previously available only on Hagie sprayers. Crab steer will also be available, allowing farmers to “more easily get in and out of corners,” Ladd noted.
Beyond sprayer mobility, John Deere added an integration with John Deere Operations Center, estimated time-to-empty and sprayer alerts, and improved visibility through the SmartView camera system for its MY27 sprayers, and the ability to add an ExactInject Direct Chemical Injection system as an after-market part.
