The role technology will play in the expansion of the horticulture industry has been underlined by a series of innovations featured at Australia’s largest horticulture trade show, Hort Connections.

John Deere showcased three key solutions at the event in Melbourne – the new 5ML orchard tractor, the Global Unmanned Spray System (GUSS) and the Smart Apply Intelligent Spray System. 

John Deere director of marketing and sales AU/NZ Steve Wright said the line-up of solutions across multiple stands underlined the commitment John Deere had to the horticulture industry.

“The National Farmers Federation has a goal for the agriculture industry to reach $100b in value by 2030 and horticulture today is about $18b, so it’s 20 to 25 per cent of the industry today,” Mr Wright said.

“It’s an exciting business, it’s big business but also a challenging business. We wanted to give growers a glimpse of some of the ways we are helping to improve efficiency while also reducing input costs.”

5ML

The 5ML has been specifically designed for orchard and vineyard customers, offering operating widths to fit down narrow rows without sacrificing the power and versatility that was essential to the sector.

John Deere territory business manager Erin Wagstaff said the 5ML came in three horsepower models – 130hp, 120hp and 104hp - and was packed with features to meet the needs of specialty crop producers.

“For those in orchards we’ve got a limb lifter kit to guide branches up and over the tractor and for customers doing a lot of spray application there is a Cat4 filtration kit,” Ms Wagstaff said.

“The 5ML also comes with precision ag technology which you can scale up or down depending on your needs, such as AutoTrac integrated into the dash.”

GUSS

GUSS tackles the issue of labour shortages by introducing semi-autonomous vehicles to the high value crop sector.

John Deere strategic marketing lead, Rodrigo Molina said one employee can monitor up to eight GUSS units, which drive themselves, eliminating human error and reducing exposure to materials being applied.

“It enables more productivity on-farm and delivers product in a precise and consistent manner,” Mr Rodrigo said.

“In this joint venture with GUSS, we’ve also introduced John Deere technology to the machine such as the 4045 engine, which now powers GUSS, as well as utilising John Deere GPS antennas.

“GUSS is a solution that offers enhanced safety, increased efficiency and ultimate precision.”

Smart Apply

To help reduce input costs, John Deere has developed the Smart Apply Intelligent Spray System.

John Deere technical product specialist Thornton Scott, said on average Smart Apply cuts chemical and water use by 50 per cent.

“It’s an exciting new product in the John Deere family that utilises LiDAR and GPS to turn a traditional sprayer into a smart solution,” Mr Scott said.

“As you run down the row, the LiDAR system reads your crop and is giving you spray exactly where it is needed in the exact amount required.”

Smart Apply also reduces chemical run off by up to 93 per cent and airborne drift by up to 87 per cent.

John Deere production system manager Steph Gersekowski said the suite of solutions was only the beginning.

 “We are constantly searching for efficiency gains for our customers, and I can say there are more solutions on the way because we’re committed to the High Value Crop sector,” Ms Gersekowski said.

“It was great to meet so many growers at Hort Connections to hear about their experiences and learn how we can help develop our technology even further to address their challenges.”

To see the 5ML, GUSS and Smart Apply Intelligent Spray System, head to the John Deere YouTube channel.