PRESS RELEASE
Copenhagen, Denmark – January 2026
Second Sun has announced a new integration with John Deere that enables precision disease spraying on golf courses by connecting hyperlocal disease risk data directly to GPS-guided sprayers. The announcement was made in Copenhagen, Denmark, on January 29, 2026, and outlines a collaboration designed to improve how superintendents manage turf disease applications .
The integration allows disease risk maps generated by the Second Sun platform to be transferred into the John Deere Operations Center and used as prescription maps for variable-rate spraying. Second Sun’s system analyzes billions of data points in real time to predict turf disease pressure at high spatial resolution across a golf course. This enables superintendents to identify areas of elevated risk, prioritize treatments, and avoid applications in low-risk zones.
Once imported into compatible John Deere GPS-guided sprayers, the prescription maps control where and how plant protection products are applied in the field. Treatments are based on localized disease risk indicators rather than uniform applications across entire playing surfaces. According to the release, this approach supports more targeted use of inputs while maintaining consistent disease protection.
The solution has been developed and tested in collaboration with a private golf facility in California. The press release states that reducing unnecessary applications can support improved resource efficiency, tighter budget control, and environmental stewardship, while maintaining turf quality and playability.
The integration is available now for golf courses using the Second Sun platform with compatible John Deere spraying equipment. Second Sun develops microclimate-driven decision support tools for golf courses, including disease risk modeling and evapotranspiration data, and collaborates with turfgrass researchers from several U.S. universities. John Deere provides machinery and precision technology for agriculture, turf, and grounds care worldwide.
Visit Second Sun’s website: Second Sun
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