Deere Buys Blue River

Deere last week completed the acquisition of Blue River Technology for $305 million.

California-based Blue River has designed technology for spraying equipment that helps farmers reduce the use of herbicides by spraying only where weeds are present.

Deere said similar technology can be used on a wider range of products.

Jorge Heraud, co-founder and CEO of Blue River Technology, said the company used “computer vision, robotics, and machine learning to help smart machines detect, identify, and make management decisions about every single plant in the field.”

Deere plans to have the 60-person Blue River staff remain in Sunnyvale, Calif.