John Deere’s 2.6% Stock Drop Drives $730M Volume at 112th Market Rank as Ag Giant Acquires GUSS Automation to Tackle Labor Shortages

John Deere’s stock fell 2.60% on August 29, with a trading volume of $730 million, ranking 112th in the market. The decline followed the company’s announcement of acquiring GUSS Automation, a leader in autonomous high-value crop sprayers, to enhance its precision agriculture portfolio. The deal builds on a 2022 joint venture and aims to address labor shortages and cost challenges in orchards and vineyards.

GUSS’s technology, which uses GPS, LiDAR, and proprietary software to operate remotely supervised sprayers, has been deployed across 2.6 million acres globally. Deere emphasized the integration will expand its U.S. manufacturing footprint and leverage existing dealer networks for sales and service. Julien Le Vely, a Deere executive, highlighted the acquisition as a step toward scalable solutions for high-value crop growers, while GUSS CEO Gary Thompson noted the partnership’s potential to accelerate innovation.

The acquisition retains GUSS’s brand, employees, and Kingsburg, California facility. Deere also plans to integrate GUSS’s sprayers with its Smart Apply® technology, which could reduce chemical and water use by up to 50%. The move underscores Deere’s focus on automation to address labor and efficiency challenges in agriculture, particularly in high-density crop markets like California’s Central Valley.

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