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Herbicide GUSS · photo pending manufacturer approval
Spraying · Fully autonomous

Herbicide GUSS

GUSS Automation's dedicated herbicide sprayer for orchards and vineyards — the same self-driving 4WD/4-wheel-steer platform as base GUSS, but built to spot-spray weeds in row middles instead of spraying the tree/vine canopy, using multiple onboard weed-detection sensors to target individual weeds rather than blanket-spraying. Diesel-powered (John Deere 4.5L 74 hp Stage V engine, no DEF) with a 600-gallon tank and adjustable 15-19 ft breakaway spray booms. Like the rest of the GUSS line it is sold and serviced only through John Deere dealers, confirmed only in the US and Australia, with no EU presence found.

Available in: United States · Australia

At a glance

Best for

Large commercial orchard and vineyard operations in the US or Australia (same footprint as base GUSS — almonds, walnuts, pistachios, citrus, stone fruit, wine grapes) wanting to cut herbicide use and weeding labour by autonomously spot-spraying individual weeds in row middles instead of blanket spraying or hand/mechanical weeding.

Avoid if

You farm outside the US or Australia — no dealer, service or CE-marking evidence was found for the EU. Also avoid if you need a machine that sprays the crop itself — Herbicide GUSS is a weed-control-only sprayer; use base GUSS or Mini GUSS for tree/vine chemical application.

Not suitable for

Row crops, cereals and vegetables — Herbicide GUSS targets weeds in permanent tree/vine crop row middles and alleys only, not field crops. Growers without the acreage to justify a dedicated autonomous sprayer; GUSS Automation publishes no unit price, though a third-party ag-tech directory (unconfirmed by the manufacturer) cites $301,000-$400,000 depending on configuration.

Specifications

Power sourceDiesel — John Deere 4.5L 74 hp Stage V engine, no DEF required (manufacturer brochure). A third-party directory instead describes a 3.8L Cummins engine; not confirmed by GUSS Automation, whose own current brochure states John Deere.
Required tractor powerNot applicable — self-propelled 4WD/4-wheel-steer platform, not a tractor implement
Dimensions23 ft 6 in long x 6 ft 4 in tall x 8 ft 4 in transport width; 15-19 ft adjustable spray boom width (manufacturer brochure)
Weight12,460 lb (5,652 kg) empty — manufacturer brochure. (A third-party directory cites "5,652 lb", which is actually this same kg figure mislabeled as lb — a units error, not a genuine conflict.)
Min farm sizeNot disclosed as a number; manufacturer brochure markets the GUSS/Herbicide GUSS line at small, medium and large operation scales (its "small scale" case study is still a professional commercial grower, not a hobby farm)
Productivity90-gallon fuel cell gives approximately 13-14 hour run time; one operator can monitor/supervise up to 8 GUSS/Herbicide GUSS machines at once; manufacturer case study cites refill downtime cut from a typical 45 minutes to about 3 minutes
Max speedNot disclosed
SensorsGPS + LiDAR + vehicle sensors for autonomous navigation (manufacturer states GPS alone is unreliable beneath tree canopy, hence the added sensor stack); multiple onboard precision weed-detection sensors trigger targeted spot-spraying instead of blanket application; GUSS Safety Vest disables drive mechanics when a nearby worker's vest is detected
ConnectivityLaptop-based fleet dashboard — one operator monitors up to 8 GUSS/Herbicide GUSS units at once with real-time position, spray rate and automatic visual/audible fault alerts; integrates with the John Deere Operations Center
Compatible tools600-gallon stainless-steel tank, hydraulic-drive centrifugal water pump, adjustable breakaway spray booms (15-19 ft) with multiple precision weed-detection sensors for targeted spot-spray; 4WD/4-wheel steering; Clean Fix reversing engine fan
Configurations

Price & ROI

Price (EUR)Not disclosed
Native priceNot disclosed
Price verifiedNot disclosed
Business modelBuy or pay-for-service, sold and serviced through GUSS Automation (Kingsburg, California — a wholly owned John Deere subsidiary since August 2025) and John Deere dealers, confirmed in the US and Australia. GUSS Automation publishes no unit price; a third-party ag-tech directory (unconfirmed by the manufacturer) cites an indicative $301,000-$400,000 depending on configuration.
Ongoing costDiesel fuel, tires, spray consumables (nozzles, pump wear parts) and scheduled maintenance through the GUSS Automation / John Deere dealer network; costs not published
MaintenanceServiced via GUSS Automation (Kingsburg, California) and John Deere dealers — confirmed dealers cover California, Oregon and Washington in the US (Papé) and New South Wales, Northern Territory and Queensland in Australia (RDO); wider coverage via the John Deere network
Payback modelHerbicide GUSS · GUSS Automation (wholly owned John Deere subsidiary since August 2025)
No manufacturer payback figure is published for this machine. The model below uses only your inputs.
Your farm

Farm figures carry across machines; the per-machine rates reset when you open a different listing.

Your result · per year
Labour saved
Inputs saved
Total saved

Payback = machine price ÷ (labour + input savings per year). Every figure above is yours to change. FX is indicative.

Verified outcomes

Each result is a before-to-after figure with a time horizon and a cited source. Independently-verified results are marked separately from vendor-claimed ones.

Multiple onboard weed-detection sensors trigger targeted spot-spray only where weeds are actually presentVendor-claimedwas: Blanket/broadcast herbicide spray application across row middles
15 workers to 3 workers (80% fewer); 24 pieces of towed/tractor equipment to 8 GUSS/Herbicide GUSS unitsVendor-claimed12 conventional tractors, 12 conventional sprayers, 3 nurse trucks, 15 workers with PPE → 8 GUSS/Herbicide GUSS sprayers, 2 nurse trucks, 1 supervisor pickup with laptop, 3 workers with PPE

EU context

CE markingNot disclosed — no CE-marking evidence found; confirmed commercial deployment is US and Australia only
EU Machinery RegulationNot applicable — no evidence Herbicide GUSS has been placed on the EU market
AI Act relevanceNot assessed for EU deployment — no EU sales/service presence found; the onboard GPS/LiDAR autonomous-navigation and weed-detection sensor stack would likely require an AI Act risk review if placed on the EU market
CAP subsidyNot applicable — no EU/CAP-linked deployment found

Get it

Verified EU dealers
GUSS Automation (direct; wholly owned John Deere subsidiary)Kingsburg, California, US
Papé Machinery Agriculture & Turf (John Deere dealer)California, Oregon and Washington, US
RDO Equipment (John Deere dealer)New South Wales, Northern Territory and Queensland, Australia
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Evidence

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