John Deere upgrades its Model Year 2027 (MY27) application portfolio, delivering advancements in maneuverability, visibility, and precision agriculture. Highlights include Four-Wheel steering for improved handling and enhanced precision ag tools and insights to streamline logistics and data analysis.
Most notably is the next generation of See & Spray technology, expanding targeted application across more crops and more operating conditions, allowing for more passes throughout the season. The updated See & Spray Gen 2 solution is designed to support operations of all sizes, helping manage rising input costs, tighter application windows, and increasing weed pressure with greater confidence and flexibility at any time of day throughout the season and in more crops.
Farmers and custom applicators can now customize the machine to match their operation without compatibility challenges. They have the option to choose between a single- or dual-tank configuration and add optional features, such as full boom lighting to maximize operating time by allowing nighttime operations and ExactApply or Individual Nozzle Control (INC) Pro nozzle systems.
Precision application for complex challenges
As weed resistance continues to be a challenge across various crop production systems, precision and flexibility are more critical for farmers than ever. The expanded See & Spray technology now enables targeted application across a wider range of crops, including the notable addition of wheat, barley and canola. With real-time weed detection and treatment, farmers gain the flexibility to adapt weed control strategies by crop and field conditions, maintaining effective weed control while optimizing input use and protecting profitability and supporting long-term agronomic outcomes.
In addition to crop expansion, customers will also benefit from the new Variable Rate capability (previously only available on See & Spray Select) giving prescription-like application without the need to build prescriptions. Using real-time living biomass detection from See & Spray cameras, the system automatically adjusts application rates at the nozzle level during fungicide, harvest aid/desiccation, and plant growth regulator passes. This expanded capability allows farmers to improve job quality, increase productivity, and extend the value of See & Spray into later-season applications, helping them make more efficient passes when timing and consistency matter most.
“Season after season new challenges continue to emerge, meaning farmers must continue to adapt, as must the equipment and tools they rely on to manage their operations,” says marketing manager Josh Ladd. “See & Spray now works across more crop conditions, and with features like variable rate, farmers enable their opportunity to save time, reduce costs and increase productivity when timing matters most.”
See & Spray specific enhancements
- New center-frame camera placement, on the front of the sprayer, to reduce dust interference and enhance detection accuracy for more-consistent application quality. For earlier models, these cameras will be available through a Precision Upgrade kit.
- Higher operating speeds in targeted modes — up to 16 m/h (25 km/h) depending on crop and configuration, allowing more acres to be covered when application windows are tight.
- Optional full boom lighting enables targeted fallow application at night to extend productive hours.
- The expanded See & Spray capabilities will be available on MY27 John Deere 408R, 410R, 412R, 612R, and 616R sprayers. In addition, all Hagie sprayers – STS12, STS16, and STS20 – will now feature See & Spray Premium as a factory-installed option.
Alongside the expanded See & Spray capabilities, John Deere is introducing several MY27 sprayer enhancements designed to improve overall productivity and in-field efficiency across a wider range of applications.
Updates also improve maneuverability with the introduction of a Four-Wheel steering option on the 400 Series chassis, previously available only on the Hagie sprayer lineup. The system includes a Crab Steer feature giving greater control in tight, irregular, or high-value crop fields.
By allowing the rear wheels to precisely follow the path of the front wheels on headlands, Four-Wheel Steer reduces crop damage, compaction, and drip tape disturbance while improving overall field efficiency. The reduced turn radius enables confident operation in tight turnrows and challenging field shapes, helping protect yield potential.
Further updates apply across the broader John Deere application portfolio
- ExactInject Direct Chemical Injection system adds flexibility to manage complex chemistries while increasing productivity with less clean out and change over time between fields. This solution is available as a John Deere aftermarket option for MY27 machines.
- Enhanced G5 Plus display experience simplifies setup, monitoring and in-field adjustments.
- John Deere Operations Center integration generates weed pressure maps, as-applied data, and savings insights accessible via web and mobile.
- Estimated time-to-empty and sprayer alerts help operators and tenders coordinate refills more efficiently, reducing downtime.
- SmartView camera system improves visibility around the machine, reducing blind spots and increasing operator situational awareness.
AutoTrac Vision 2.0–ready capability for Hagie machines, available from the factory, enables enhanced guidance performance in challenging crop conditions.
