John Deere recently acquired Minnesota-based “Sentera,” an aerial imaging company specializing in precision agriculture. Deere plans to integrate Sentera’s technology into its existing digital platform, the John Deere Operations Center.
Sentera’s field-scouting platform allows farmers to gather high-resolution, multispectral images with its drone-mounted cameras. The data is then processed with Sentera’s “FieldAgent,” which uses AI and machine learning to help farmers assess plant-level health, identify crop stressors and take appropriate actions.
The data collected by Sentera-equipped drones additionally generate high-resolution images, which identify the exact location of specific weeds and are used to generate a weed map. This data is then used by Sentera’s “Smartscript Weeds” system to produce a prescription for targeted spraying. The prescription, once generated, can be wirelessly sent to John Deere equipment through its Operations Center.
With the new tie-up between the companies, Sentera now plans to enhance the API integration with more data layers and analytics insights available within Operations Center. The companies will also seek other synergies. For example, John Deere currently has in-house development of the cameras and imagers it installs on its ground-based equipment underway; integrating aerial shots from Sentera-equipped drones into the data mix is a natural fit, John Deere Global Tech Marketing Lead Joe Liefer said
Following the acquisition, details of which were not released, there is not expected to be any major changes, at least not immediately, said Liefer. Sentera will operate as a business unit of John Deere and continue to sell cameras directly to drone manufacturers and end users. Meanwhile, the John Deere Operations Center will remain open to data from other drone imagery providers, maintaining flexibility for customers.
The acquisition additionally supports Deere’s shift toward a business model that monetizes data services and software subscriptions, creating predictable, high-margin revenue streams beyond traditional equipment sales. The company notes that the acquisition is part of Deere’s strategy to provide farmers and agricultural service providers with a more comprehensive set of tools to improve farm profitability, efficiency, and sustainability. (Sources: Deere, Future Farming, IOT World)
