John Deere Buys Automated Ag Machinery Builder GUSS

The ag machinery leader is betting that, by throwing the weight of their established brand behind this cutting-edge technology, more producers will be motivated to adopt it sooner rather than later.

John Deere has been a leader in row crop machinery for decades. Now, the company is focusing on higher-value crops, such as trees, vines, and vegetables.

To achieve this, they recently acquired GUSS, a company founded in 2017 and already recognized as one of the premier builders of automated agricultural machinery, with a focus on autonomous spray technology in particular.

Speaking to some of the motivations behind the acquisition, John Deere representative Sean Sundberg explained that the reputation and staying power of the John Deere brand is expected to lead to greater producer confidence and increased willingness to adopt such cutting-edge technology sooner rather than later:

“The high value crop grower, has a lot of hesitance to adopt it because they don’t know if that startup’s going to be there nine months from now, and it leads to saying, ‘Hey, I’m going to do what I know is going to work to protect my profits, and that may or may not be adopting technology immediately.’”

Related Stories
New Holland VP Ryan Schaefer shares insights into the brand’s legacy and innovations that support U.S. cattle producers.
OOIDA’s Lewie Pugh discusses the EPA’s new Right to Repair guidance and other regulatory developments impacting the trucking and agriculture industries.
Merck’s Gary Tiller discusses new virtual fencing technology and how fence-free livestock management could change the way ranchers manage land and cattle.
Dr. Peter Beetham, interim CEO of Cibus, joined us to discuss the status of EU gene-editing deregulation and its potential implications for agriculture.
SharkFarmer host Rob Sharkey takes us on a tour of the John Deere showcase on the trade show floor of CattleCon 2026 in Nashville.
Ranchbot Monitoring Solutions provides remote water-monitoring technology to help ranchers manage livestock water more efficiently.

Agriculture Shows
Hosted by Scott “The Cow Guy” Shellady and RFD News Markets Specialist Tony St. James, Commodity Talk delivers expert insight into the day’s ag commodity markets just before the CME opens. Only on RFD-TV and Rural Radio SiriusXM Channel 147.
A look at the news, weather and commodities headlines that drove agriculture markets in the past week.
Everything profits from prairie. Soil, air, water — and all kinds of life! Learn how you can improve your land with prairie restoration, cover crops and prairie strips, while growing your bottom line.
Special 3-part series tells the story of the Claas family’s legacy, which changed agriculture forever.