CNH’s latest AI sprayer precision tech goes beyond the boom

Machine learning and camera sensing technology are proving how powerfully AI supports agriculture by boosting efficiency, reducing input costs, and helping farmers grow more sustainably. An innovation from CNH uniting real time crop analysis and automated spraying now comes built-in for its Case IH, New Holland and Miller brands’ sprayer portfolio.

This smart sprayer precision tech detects green on brown (weeds on soil) and then delivers the precise application of inputs such as water, herbicides and fertilizers – saving on resources and cutting down chemical use, resulting in more productive acres.

The latest installment in our ‘A Sustainable Year’ series delves into the technology behind this breakthrough and talks to an American farming family tending to 40,000 acres about the benefits they’re already seeing on the ground.

When a farmer applies a chemical input to their field, it impacts everything from the conditions of the soil to the health of the crops to the yield potential and profits at the end of the season. Whether they are applying fertilizer to improve soil conditions or herbicide to kill weeds, every pass impacts their crop quality and future sustainability. Thus it is critical to get the application rate and placement right. Effective application can reduce erosion, chemical drift and runoff whilst conserving resources and protecting nearby ecosystems - including insects and microorganisms that support nutrient recycling and soil structure. This naturally promotes healthier soils, reduces water contamination and ultimately improves crop growth and yield.

In response to this, sense and act technology solutions are beginning to emerge in the agriculture industry. This cutting-edge set of solutions uses sensors to detect crop conditions and then adjust machine settings in response. CNH developed its first factory fit sense and act solution to go beyond the general trend of using this concept for herbicide, creating the most versatile solution to provide unmatched precision across both spraying and spreading applications.

The Case IH SenseApply™ and New Holland IntelliSense™ Sprayer Automation solution covers multiple seasons for live variable rate applications and available Selective Spray options on bare or residue-covered field conditions. “The system can be utilized year-round, getting our customers the best return on investment,” says Nick Michael, senior technical product manager overseeing sense and act technology. “SenseApply technology is the only application technology that offers Live Variable Rate Application and Green-on-Brown Selective Spraying modes in a single cab-mounted arrangement.”

How it works
The SenseApply technology offers two sense and act spraying modes — Selective Spray and Live Variable Rate Application (Live VRA).

Selective Spray can be used in two ways: Green-on-Brown Spot Spraying, where the camera spots green weeds, and Base + Boost mode which sprays a consistent base rate of herbicide across the field.

The Live Variable Rate Application can be used in five different application types: nitrogen as fertilizer; fungicide to protect plants from harmful fungus; harvest aid chemicals that help crops to ripen at a uniform rate; plant growth regulator chemicals, which also create a more uniform crop; and burndown, which applies herbicide to competing vegetation before a new crop is planted.

SenseApply technology offers the greatest benefit in fields with varying conditions, where traditional uniform spraying means certain areas don’t get what they need or others are over-sprayed. “We thrive in those areas of natural variability, whether that’s poorly performing areas, or varying soil types that cause different moisture or different nutrient availability for plants,” says Michael.

With only one easy-to-install camera sensor and precise application controls, SenseApply technology provides the most economical and adaptable live variable rate application and selective spray solutions for growers and custom applicators. SenseApply enables operators to maximize the output of every input with a simple-to-use, simple-to-maintain solution.




Significant Savings and Return On Investment
Farmers see the most Return On Investment (ROI) from SenseApply in the cost savings that they experience across the board. At the point of purchase, the solution’s affordable price and no per-acre or annual fees make it a simple investment. From there, customers see unprecedented Return On Investment (ROI) from automatically making the most efficient use of every input every time. The solution automatically applies the right rate or sprays precisely in the right spot, which saves a lot of inputs. Case IH estimates that SenseApply will pay for itself in as little as one or two years and could save farmers up to 65% on herbicide application.

For perspective, the average U.S. wheat farm spans roughly 2,500 to 5,000 acres. With SenseApply technology, on average farmers can save up to 32,000 gallons of product applied per season or $28,000 in annual savings1 — a volume equivalent to 3.5 months or 105 days of household water use2. This level of savings helps farmers be more sustainable while also improving their bottom-line, season after season.

1 Based on a 3,500-acre U.S. wheat farm, 2 fertilizer passes at a product cost of $#/gal. and 1 burndown pass at a product cost of $0.50/gal.
2 Daily household water usage at 300 gallons per day per the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

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