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Read the entire transcript from the latest episode.
Tony Kramer: Hi, I’m Tony Kramer, your host of the Agriculture Technology Podcast. I’m sitting down with agriculture, technology and equipment experts to help you enhance your operation for today, tomorrow and into the future.
In this episode, I talk with Katy Derheim about all of the different See & Spray™ solutions available from John Deere. Let’s dive into the show.
Like I said, I’m sitting down with Katy Derheim. We’re going to talk about the different See & Spray solutions that John Deere has in the application portfolio. But before we get started, Katy, why don’t you introduce yourself, tell us a little bit about who you are, where you come from and how you got to where you are today?
Katy Derheim: Hey Tony, thanks for having me. I’ve been in the precision agriculture space for about six years now, mostly focusing on sprayer applications. I’ve got some background in precision spot spray systems and now have the pleasure of working pretty heavily with the See & Spray system.
Tony: Yeah, that’s kind of neat. You came into the industry right as John Deere was getting going with See & Spray technology, and you brought in some of that industry knowledge from other solutions on the market. It’s great to have you on the RDO team as Product Manager for Application. You bring a lot of great knowledge and experience. I’d love to pick your brain a little bit on what some of this stuff is.
So starting high level — what are the benefits of See & Spray or spot spray technology? Why should a customer be curious or interested in something like this? What’s it going to do for them?
Katy: Some of the characteristics we see in customers utilizing the technology — they’re often early adopters. These are growers who work really hard and want to see a strong ROI. Some of the major benefits include reduced herbicide applications — we’re seeing up to 65% application savings in most of the systems we offer.
There’s also the ultimate benefit of reduced cost. If you’re saving at least 65% on your chemical, that’s money back in your pocket. One of the other things I really like is that if you’re reducing the amount of product you’re putting on your soil, that’s better for soil health. Our growers are stewards of the land — they take care of their soil. There’s a lot of recent data showing better yields in fields where growers are using the See & Spray technology.
Tony: And this is, I’d say, our second full-blown season of really utilizing this type of technology. Sixty-some percent — what are some of the average numbers we’re seeing across the United States or in the RDO footprint?
Katy: John Deere is seeing an average of about 65% herbicide savings across the board. Some growers who got started a little later or don’t use it as often are seeing 35–40% savings, and we’ve seen up to 73% savings in the Premium and Ultimate systems. Growers running the Select system are seeing about 77% average herbicide savings.
Tony: Those numbers are kind of mind-blowing. Even if you’re saving just 25% on your chemical application — that’s still a significant dollar amount.
Katy: We’ve calculated it out. Growers using the system last year were saving hundreds of thousands of dollars off their chemical bills.
Tony: That’s hard data. When we can put that in front of a customer and say, “This solution could potentially save you $50,000 or $100,000 in application or input costs,” that speaks volumes. It’s exciting to see where this technology is headed.
Katy: Absolutely. And when you put those dollar savings side-by-side with the cost of the system — I’m married to a farmer — if you can present a system that gives you an ROI in the first year plus money back in your pocket, it just feels really good to support, sell, purchase and run.
Tony: Exactly. You also made a great point about being stewards of the land. With less chemical applied, it’s not just cost savings — it’s a better overall solution for agronomics and the environment.
You mentioned Premium, Ultimate and Select. Let’s talk through those. Starting with Select — what’s that used for? What type of customer is it a good fit for? What’s the theory of operation?
Katy: The Select system is a perfect fit for growers operating in a chem-fallow situation. These are guys spraying green on brown. The machine detects anything green in the fallow field and sprays just the weed.
This system is available on 120-foot booms for model year 2018 or newer.
Tony: So See & Spray Select is green-on-brown. Can you turn that off and use the machine as a traditional broadcast sprayer?
Katy: Yes, you can override the See & Spray portion of the system and use it as a conventional sprayer or an ExactApply™ broadcast sprayer.
Tony: That covers Select. Now let’s move to See & Spray Premium. What does that system do?
Katy: See & Spray Premium is a precision upgrade package that can be installed on an existing John Deere sprayer, model year 2018 or newer. It does more than just green-on-brown — it can also be used in-crop.
So, it can spray just the weeds in a fallow application, and then be switched into in-crop mode for corn, soybeans or cotton.
Tony: So it’s one step above Select. Now, what about Ultimate? What do we get with that?
Katy: See & Spray Ultimate is the top-of-the-line system. It includes everything Premium has, but also offers dual-tank application. That means you can apply a residual herbicide as a broadcast application while spot spraying a non-residual herbicide at the same time on weeds the system detects.
Tony: So for pre-emerge applications, you could broadcast your residual and then spot spray something else — all in one pass?
Katy: Exactly. You can also use Ultimate in a fallow application just like the other two systems.
Tony: Are there any limitations by crop type or row spacing?
Katy: Currently, all See & Spray systems are approved for green-on-brown. In terms of crop types, they work in corn, cotton and soybeans. For See & Spray Ultimate, it’s approved for soybeans in row spacings of 15 inches or greater, and corn at 30-inch rows. We’ve also seen success in 20–22-inch spacing.
Tony: That’s great. So Select, Premium and Ultimate each have their place. You mentioned Ultimate is factory-installed only. What about Premium — can I get that from the factory or only as a precision upgrade?
Katy: You can do both. We can factory install it on a new sprayer, or you can add the precision upgrade kit to an existing machine you love.
Tony: That’s the benefit of the precision upgrade kits — whether for sprayers, planters, combines — it’s a low-cost way to get into new technology. Select is now also available as a precision upgrade kit for model year 2026, correct?
Katy: Yes, that’s right. Like you said, it’s a great entry point into new technology. Once growers start seeing those herbicide savings, they’re hooked.
Tony: Now, let’s talk about the license or subscription model that comes with these systems. How does it differ between Select, Premium and Ultimate?
Katy: I know “subscription model” can sound intimidating, but the cost savings far outweigh the license fees.
Select is on an open license—no per-acre fee.
With Premium, you’re charged $1 per acre for fallow applications and $5 per acre for in-crop applications—but only when the system detects and avoids a spray. The slogan is “only pay when you don’t spray.”
If the system prevents you from applying your $35 per acre mix, you pay $1 or $5 instead and save the rest. If the system ends up applying product on that acre, you don’t pay the license fee.
Ultimate follows the same model.
Tony: So even if your tank mix is $15 an acre, you’re paying $5 for the license instead of $15 for chemistry. That’s powerful.
Katy: Absolutely. My husband’s a dryland wheat farmer here in Oregon. On an 800-acre field, if we applied our $14–$15 mix across the whole thing, that’s $12,000. Let’s say See & Spray saves just 50%—that’s $6,000 in savings. The license fee would be about $400 for that field. The savings far outweigh the cost.
Tony: That’s incredible. And if the technology fits your operation, the ROI is easy to see.
Do you have any success stories that really stuck with you?
Katy: I do! Some of the best meetings I’ve had ended with growers just smiling ear to ear. They’re most excited about the time they get back. They can’t believe how much more efficient their spray schedule becomes. They get to eat dinner with their families, go to their kids’ baseball games—they’re filling less, using less water. It’s life-changing.
Tony: Yeah, less filling is huge—it’s one of the biggest time sinks during spraying. I’m sure the growers you’re working with are seeing major efficiency gains.
Tony: If someone wants to learn more about these See & Spray solutions, where should they go?
Katy: The best resource is your local RDO Equipment Co. or John Deere dealer. Talk to your product specialist, account manager or salesperson—they know the ins and outs and can walk through the specs with you.
Tony: Thanks so much for joining us, Katy. Like you said, some similarities, some differences—but there’s a solution out there to fit every operation.
Katy: Thanks for having me, Tony. Great to chat with you.
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Tony Kramer
Tony Kramer is the Product Manager of Planting Technology and a Certified Crop Advisor at RDO Equipment Co. He is also the host of the Agriculture Technology podcast. If you have any questions for Tony or would like to be a guest on the podcast, email agtechpodcast@rdoequipment.com, or connect with him on LinkedIn.
