Key Takeaways
- U.S. Sugar has entered a strategic partnership with Everglades Equipment Group to implement John Deere precision agriculture technologies across its South Florida operations.
- The initiative includes advanced data connectivity, autonomous equipment research, and tools to optimize land leveling, fuel use, and fertilizer efficiency.
- U.S. Sugar aims to align the collaboration with its long-term sustainability goals for sugar production.
- The partnership builds on a decades-long relationship between the two organizations and supports U.S. Sugar’s use of precision farming on 255,000 acres.
- An autonomous tractor solution is also under development as part of ongoing innovation efforts.
U.S. Sugar and Everglades Equipment Group Collaborate on Technology Integration for Precision Farming
U.S. Sugar has announced a strategic collaboration with Everglades Equipment Group, a key John Deere distributor, to enhance its sugarcane farming operations using the latest precision agriculture technologies. The announcement is part of U.S. Sugar’s broader commitment to sustainable farming and innovation in food production across its operations in South Florida.
The partnership will integrate multiple John Deere technology systems into sugarcane harvesters and tractors used on U.S. Sugar’s nearly 255,000 acres of farmland. According to U.S. Sugar President & CEO Ken McDuffie, the collaboration continues the company’s history of adopting technological advancements in agriculture, aligning with its founder’s original vision of innovation.
Precision Tools Deployed Across South Florida Farmland
The deployment of technologies through this partnership includes:
- JDLink: A platform that connects machinery to John Deere’s Operations Center, providing real-time data on equipment performance and work progress.
- Work Plans: Digital field instructions, including boundaries and guidance lines, that enable automation and precision in field operations.
- Embedded Machine Tech / Efficiency Manager: Software that adjusts transmission settings based on engine load to improve fuel efficiency.
- Multi-section dry fertilizer applicators: Enable row-level control to reduce fertilizer use and increase application accuracy.
- T3rra Cutta Landforming Software: Uses drone-generated elevation data to assist in GPS-guided land leveling, enhancing water retention.
In addition to these tools, U.S. Sugar is implementing updated John Deere sugarcane harvester features such as auto idle, Smart Clean, and base cutter height control to improve fuel use and maintain consistency in crop harvesting.
R&D and Long-Term Innovation
The companies also revealed that they are collaborating on the research and development of an Autonomous Tractor Solution, intended to further expand automation capabilities within U.S. Sugar’s operations.
Mike Schlecter, CEO of Everglades Equipment Group, highlighted the longstanding relationship between the two organizations. He noted that the deployment of these solutions not only supports U.S. Sugar but also helps refine technologies for wider application in other agricultural markets.
