At a recent industry event, one of the speakers was Jeff Tarsi, President, Global Retail for Nutrien. While primarily focusing on the state of the crop nutrition marketplace, Tarsi nonetheless pointed to advances in ag equipment technology as one of the key drivers for the industry today.
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SenseApply
Case IH
SenseApply technology consists of a single cab-mounted camera system that offers multi-season uses. These include Green-on-Brown Spot Spray and Base + Boost for applying a consistent base rate over the entire boom while boosting individual nozzle sections to a higher rate when passing over areas with higher weed pressure. The technology is designed for speeds of up to 25 mph, with the camera self-calibrating to the crop within the first 150 feet during Live VRA. The SenseApply camera – which is mounted on top of the cab to maximize field of view – senses plant biomass and responds accordingly, depending on the application type the operator selected. SenseApply also integrates with Case IH FieldOps and Raven Slingshot, enabling operators to connect and manage application data through their preferred platform.
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Sense & Act
Raven Industries/Augmenta
Sense & Act uses camera imaging and artificial intelligence technologies to both detect a specific crop-health issue in the field and address it in real time. The unit uses a multispectral camera to analyze real-time field conditions and apply, where needed, products such as nitrogen, plant growth regulators, harvest aids (defoliants and desiccants), and fungicides. The camera is installed onto a single point on top of a cab roof and scans the full width of the boom. It can be mounted to multiple brands of equipment, whether it be a sprayer or a tractor pulling an application implement.
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IntelliSense
New Holland
IntelliSense Sprayer Automation is being offered for new model year 2026 Guardian series front boom sprayers: The SP310F, SP370F, and SP410F. IntelliSense Sprayer Automation uses a single cab-mounted, factory-fit SenseApply Camera unit. The SenseApply camera unit is a forward-looking, multi-spectral vision system that enables IntelliSense Sprayer Automation to continuously scan upcoming field conditions (50 feet out in front of the sprayer) across the full width of the boom from a high vantage point atop the cab. A leading aspect of the IntelliSense Sprayer Automation is its Selective Spray function. It offers operators the choice of two application types to enhance herbicide applications: Spot Spraying and Base + Boost. Spot Spraying utilizes green-on-brown functionality and operates by detecting weeds smaller in stature (less than two inches in height) and activates nozzles on the boom that correspond to the location of the detected weed. Where an operator is applying a broadcast herbicide over a field, Base + Boost mode applies a uniform base rate across the entire coverage width and activates a localized boost rate from nozzles where weeds are detected. When the SenseApply camera identifies a weed, IntelliSense Sprayer Automation boosts the maximum application rate for that single weed within the herbicide's prescription rate range.
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WeedSeeker 2
PTx Trimble
WeedSeeker 2 is designed with advanced optics and processing power, says the company, The system can detect and apply herbicide to weeds. When a weed passes underneath the sensor, it signals a linked spray nozzle to precisely deliver herbicide and kill the weed. According to the company, this can reduce the amount of chemical applied by up to 90%.
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ONE Smart Spray
ONE Smart Spray
The ONE Smart Spray system is designed to deliver optimal herbicide savings without compromising weed control and enables targeted spraying during day and night-time conditions, says the company. The camera-based system developed by Bosch detects weeds in milliseconds and precisely sprays only where necessary and only as much as needed. Using the field-specific data in a digital platform by xarvio Digital Farming Solutions, ONE Smart Spray also offers customized agronomic recommendations, intelligent sensitivity levels, high-precision agronomic maps, automated documentation, and further features in ONE solution. In addition to targeted spraying, the ONE Smart Spray System delivers integrated digital tools to turn the application data into actionable insights and improve yields and efficiency for users. Herbicide savings are delivered through a series of sophisticated sensors, automated sensitivity thresholds, and access to Bosch BASF Smart Farming’s pest identification technology.
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See & Spray Select/See & Spray Premium
John Deere
See & Spray technology continues to develop and provide additional options for users looking for ways to reduce inputs and improve targeted weed control. According to the company, See & Spray Select has historically been used to control weeds in fallow fields. New variable rate capabilities unlock the opportunity for precise application, and product savings, in later-season fungicide, desiccant, pre-harvest passes, and more. Users can now see the percentage of biomass each camera detects throughout the field. Each camera rates the amount of green biomass detected and varies the volume of product applied by percentage. Operators can then adjust how much product they wish to apply on an individual nozzle level based on the green biomass percentages, giving them the ability to apply product where it is most needed. Variable rate capabilities will require a G5 or G5 CommandCenter display.
See & Spray Select will be available from the factory on model year 2026 John Deere 400 and 600 series sprayers with 90-foot, 100-foot, or 120-foot steel booms. See & Spray Select also will be available as a precision upgrade kit for model year 2018 and newer John Deere sprayers with ExactApply and a 120-foot steel boom.
A new update to See & Spray Premium technology is the addition of new boom sizes. Available as a precision upgrade, See & Spray Premium will now be available in 90- foot, 100- foot, or 120- foot booms. Also new for the upcoming year, See & Spray Premium will be available on Hagie STS20 sprayers.
“Equipment has a much larger role in agriculture today,” said Tarsi. “When you are talking about ag equipment today, you are talking about much more than tillage. You are talking about data collection, data simulation, how you can compile data, those kinds of things. You are trying to take up to 20 different data points, all with a vision of precisely delivering a solution to a grower that will give him or her the best chance to win.”
Naturally, there have been several such systems introduced into the agricultural marketplace over the past few years. And more are likely to show up at this summer’s big equipment trade shows such as the Midwest AG Industries Exposition (MAGIE) and Farm Progress.
In the meantime, CropLife IRON is taking the opportunity in the slideshow above to review some of the high-tech systems already launched into the market.
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