John Deere are once again on the acquisition trail and this time have purchased Sentera, a Minnesota-based company that specialises in equipment for capturing and interpreting aerial images.
Described as being able to provide “farmers and ag service providers with a more comprehensive set of tools to generate and use data to make decisions that improve farm profitability”. Sentera may be viewed as a further piece in the smart farming jigsaw.
However, the move marks another milestone – Deere adding drones to its portfolio for, within its list of sensors and cameras, Sentera has one in its products section, albeit a plane rather than a helicopter-type.
Deere to supply drones
Yet hardware, which is presently Deere’s main product – be it tractors or lawnmowers – does not get a mention amongst all the excitement surrounding the opportunity to capture more information.
Instead, we are advised that Sentera’s imagery capabilities, in conjunction with Deeres digital hub, “will enable farmers and trusted advisors to seamlessly gather and integrate agronomic data, understand real-time conditions, and turn data into insights that drive decisions in the field throughout the growing season”.
The two major areas of assessment are crop health and weed infestation, with the ability for high resolution images to be analysed to locate individual weed plants. The resulting prescription map could be used by sprayers to treat weeds though section control, or even single nozzles.
Crop health
Furthermore, it is claimed that the same process can be used in a field to assess crop stand uniformity, disease pressure, and pests, all of which will enable more efficient remedial action.
Sentera, however, will continue to supply cameras directly to drone manufacturers for integration into their products, as well as selling to farmers, agronomists, ag retailers, and other users.
In addition, the John Deere Operations Centre will continue to be open to other drone imagery providers where images may be used in the Map Layers tool, enabling farmers and advisors to continue to have a choice of which solutions works best for their operation.
