Beyond the Tractor: John Deere Provides Tech Solutions in Agriculture
June 4, 2019
Since its inception, John Deere has viewed itself as a technology company. “Our namesake, John Deere, was an innovator himself and developed the world’s first polished steel self-scouring plow that was able to open up the West to agricultural advancement,” said John Teeple, director of advanced technology at John Deere.
Throughout the years, John Deere has closed the gap between the farming ecosystem and the digital world through its equipment. Starting with the transition from horse-drawn equipment to engine and tractor, John Deere has evolved to installing GPS and exploring self-driving technology in its equipment, and it’s making headway on machines understanding the farm on an individual plant level.
With the advances in farming operations, farmers are now looking at arable lands, weather patterns and more, and they need new solutions. John Deere stepped in as a technology solutions provider.
“Deere made a strategic investment to ensure its role in the technology revolution on the farm,” says John Stone, senior VP at Deere and Company’s Intelligent Solutions Group, in an interview with i3 magazine. “We strive to bring leading-edge technologies to solve problems and capture opportunities that will make Deere customers the most profitable and sustainable farmers in the world.”
With the increasing need for food globally as the world population changes, the integration between agriculture and technology proves to be vital.
Beyond the vehicle technology in its tractors, John Deere’s equipment allows farmers to take advantage of other technology to optimize farming operations and address concerns that were not prevalent — or even existent — before.
The company has continued to enhance its machines and increase its influence on farming with new technological capabilities, including these:
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GPS technology that allows machines to steer themselves through the field on precise guidance lines, saving a farmer 10% of total input costs
Machines that connect to a 4G LTE modem with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to transmit field data to mobile devices and the cloud, and to each other
A smart sprayer system, via its acquisition of Blue River Technology, that distinguishes weeds from plants in a field
“These technologies allow the farmer to operate smarter, more efficiently, more productively, more precisely and, ultimately, more sustainably now. as well,” said Teeple on the CES Tech Talk podcast.
John Deere has paved its way as a powerhouse in the ag tech sector and pushed the boundaries between farm and tech.
The company's presence at CES 2019 featured its iconic green John Deere tractor and highlighted the intricate technologies — sensors, AI, connectivity and more — that farmers are using today.
