Blue River Technology

Blue River Technology, a John Deere company, develops See & Spray, a computer-vision system that identifies weeds and crops in real time and activates individual spray nozzles to apply herbicide only where it’s needed. Integrated directly into John Deere’s 400- and 600-series sprayers with 120-foot booms, the system uses high-resolution cameras, onboard processors, and dual independent tanks to deliver targeted applications in a single pass. Field trials have shown herbicide reductions of up to 47% while improving control of herbicide-resistant weeds, helping growers cut input costs and protect long-term soil health. All application data, including as-applied maps and weed-pressure insights, flows into John Deere Operations Center for field-level analysis and decision support.

See & Spray is delivered as a factory-installed CapEx upgrade on John Deere sprayers; the system bundles cameras, processors, control modules, nozzle-actuation hardware, and Blue River’s embedded machine-learning models into one integrated package. While the precision-spraying capability is purchased upfront, ongoing performance is tied to John Deere’s connected-machine ecosystem, including subscription-based digital services delivered through the John Deere Operations Center. These connected services support continuous model improvements, agronomic data flows, as-applied maps, machine health insights, and software updates across the fleet. Installation, calibration, and ongoing support are handled through Deere’s dealer network, which provides the recurring digital infrastructure that enables See & Spray to operate and improve over time.