No-tiller Tyler Troiola is using smart spray technology on his 2,800-acre corn, soybean and wheat operation near Eagle, Wis., for the first time, continuing a family tradition of innovation that dates back to the inaugural National No-Tillage Conference in 1993

“My uncles attended the very first National No-Tillage Conference, so our family has been no-tilling for over 30 years now and cover cropping for at least 15 years,” Troiola says. “They’ve always been on the cutting edge of farming.” 

30 years later, Troiola followed in his uncles’ footsteps by attending the 2023 National No-Tillage Conference in Indianapolis, Ind., which sparked his interest in smart spray technology. 

“There were a couple presentations and discussions about smart sprayers,” Troiola says. “I was skeptical at first but became interested after hearing other no-tillers talk about the cost savings. Plus, I want to be an early adopter of this technology before chemical usage is regulated because there are already counties in Wisconsin where atrazine use is restricted. I figured, why not try to cut down on herbicide usage on my own before it’s regulated?”

Retrofit First

After talking it over with his agronomist, input supplier and friends, Troiola decided to give John Deere See & Spray a try for the 2024 growing season. He went the retrofit route for his 2018 John Deere R4038 sprayer, opting for the See & Spray Premium. It’s a $25,000 system that can be installed on John Deere sprayers equipped with ExactApply nozzle systems as old as model year…