Are you excited about targeting spraying after seeing a demonstration of the technology? But do you still have many questions? Early adopters, researchers and industry people provide valuable input.
Rodrigo Werle, Extension weed scientist at the University of Wisconsin, looked at the One Smart Spray system under development by BASF and Bosch.
“We were concerned about potential displacement of spray since all nozzles aren’t activated at the same time,” Werle explains. “We wondered if it could be affected by wind and miss the target weed.
“We determined that it can. However, it is less likely when more than one nozzle is activated at a time. Pay attention to nozzle selection and placement in these systems too.”
Controlling parameters
Steve Gauck, a regional agronomist with Beck’s, compared accuracy of various application methods, including drones, aerial applications, sprayers and targeted spraying in 2024. He determined that any of these approaches performed well if operated correctly. The key is making sure herbicide lands on target weeds.
“You can change settings on most of these newer target-spraying technologies,” he says. Beck’s sprayed two soybean fields with a John Deere See & Spray system in 2024. They saw around 50% herbicide savings.
“You could save more if you tightened down on the spray zone around each weed,” he notes. “We were conservative because we were more concerned about achieving top weed control than saving a few extra pennies.”
Learning ins and outs
Clint Reiss of Southwest Family Farms, Plains, Kan., has experience with both the Premium and Ultimate options for John Deere See & Spray in conventional tillage.
“Some nozzles, particularly behind sprayer wheels, were staying on, probably because dust obscured camera vision,” he says. “Deere technicians moved cameras over wheel tracks to the front, eliminating the issue. There are still things like that to work out.”
Tyler Troiola, Eagle, Wis., agrees. “Overall, it does a good job,” he says. “The neat thing is that they can update the system as it learns more. If it is not as good at picking up a certain weed now, odds are it will be better in the future.”
Adapting to the system
Doug Houser, Matt Darr and Ryan Huffman, all with Iowa State University Extension, tested a sprayer with John Deere See & Spray Ultimate in 2024.
“These sprayers have cameras along the boom to detect individual weeds, but there are other adaptations necessary to make the system effective,” Houser says.
Here are Houser’s top five adaptations:
- Boom height control. Consistent boom position to keep cameras at a stable height is critical. Werle emphasizes this point too. Reiss notes that the carbon fiber boom available with See & Spray Ultimate helps stabilize boom height.
- Speed. Manufacturers typically recommend 10 to 15 miles per hour, Houser says. As technology improves, speed allowance increases, but stays below allowable broadcast application speed.
- Individual nozzle control. This is a must for most systems. For example, the sprayer must have John Deere ExactApply individual nozzle control before See & Spray Premium can be retrofitted.
- Compatible nozzles. Specific nozzles are typically required by the manufacturer for targeted spray applications. Nozzle angle changes. Don’t expect to spray with flat fan 110-degree nozzles.
- Boom recirculation. Because the number of nozzles spraying at once varies greatly, this feature helps maintain consistent herbicide coverage, Houser explains.