John Deere has made a strategic move to bolster its precision agriculture offerings with the acquisition of Sentera, a Minnesota-based provider of remote imagery solutions. This acquisition aims to enhance data-driven decision-making for farmers by integrating high-resolution drone imagery into John Deere’s existing digital platform, the John Deere Operations Center™.
Sentera’s drone-based technology enables rapid, detailed field imaging, providing farmers and agronomists with valuable insights. The company’s FieldAgent software transforms this data into actionable information, allowing users to assess plant health, identify weeds, and apply resources more efficiently. One of Sentera’s standout products, SMARTSCRIPT™ Weeds, uses aerial weed detection to create targeted herbicide prescriptions, reducing product waste and improving overall efficiency.
Chris Winkler, Director of Digital Software and Solutions at John Deere, highlighted the benefits of this integration: “Combining Sentera’s imagery capabilities with the John Deere Operations Center™ 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 acquisition is expected to complement John Deere’s existing precision tools, including its See & Spray™ system. Sentera’s technology is compatible with most major drone platforms and helps users identify issues such as uneven crop stands, disease, or pest pressure early in the season. This integration promises to enhance the capabilities of John Deere’s precision agriculture tools, providing farmers with more comprehensive and accurate data.
Nick Einck, Director of Agronomy at Chandler Coop in Minnesota, shared his perspective on the acquisition: “As a customer of John Deere and Sentera today, the value of this integration is clear. Sentera’s scouting solutions allow us to quickly gather data across more acres and with greater detail, enabling us to customize our approach to each field. Coupled with the John Deere technologies we already leverage today, we can be more efficient and deliver even better outcomes for our customers.”
Despite the acquisition, Sentera will continue to sell cameras directly to drone manufacturers and end users, ensuring flexibility and choice for customers. The John Deere Operations Center will also remain open to data from other drone imagery providers, maintaining an open ecosystem for farmers.
Brian Wenngatz, CEO of Sentera, expressed his enthusiasm for the acquisition: “John Deere provides us a great outcome and is exactly the right home for Sentera. They are the industry benchmark for innovation in precision agriculture and they share our belief that the future of access to these technologies is built on trusted relationships, measurable insights, and scalable platforms. Together, we’ll be able to support more farmers and help them unlock even more value.”
This acquisition underscores John Deere’s commitment to supporting farmers at every stage of their digital transformation journey. By expanding access to scalable, effective tools, John Deere aims to improve yield and efficiency, ultimately helping farmers make more informed decisions and achieve better outcomes.