Apr 25, 2024

Smart Apply precision spraying adds California staffer

Noah Sanders has joined Smart Apply, creator of the Smart Apply Intelligent Spray Control System for high-value specialty crops, as regional sales director.

Based in Bakersfield, California, Sanders will provide technical sales support to equipment dealers and growers in Central and Southern California, and the Southwest with a primary focus on Arizona and New Mexico.

Jerry Johnson, CEO for Smart Apply, welcomed Sanders, a California native with 15 years of experience in agriculture and equipment sales.

“California is a growth market for Smart Apply’s precision spray and data system based on the volume of tree fruits, almonds, pistachios and grapes produced, but also because of the state’s emphasis on sustainability and managing water resources,” Johnson said in a news release. “The Southwest is home to major pecan orchards. Noah’s addition is critical to converting more growers to Smart Apply and the significant impact it will have on operations, profitability and sustainability.”

Prior to joining Smart Apply, Sanders was a key accounts sales representative for Kern Machinery in Bakersfield, California, for nearly five years. He worked directly with growers across the San Joaquin Valley, focusing on equipment and precision ag solutions. Sanders earned a bachelor’s in business administration from California State University at Bakersfield.

“I’ve seen firsthand the challenges growers face, and believe Smart Apply can be a game changer with immediate ROI of lower input costs from precision spraying and automation, but also the long-term benefits of data analytics,” Sanders said in the release. “The company is committed to continuing to enhance the system’s functionality that will help high-value crop growers optimize yields in the most efficient ways possible.”

Launched in 2019, Smart Apply’s Intelligent Spray Control System is a LiDAR-enabled precision spraying system with the ability to automatically collect data during each spray event. The Smart Apply System is sold as a kit that can be added to virtually any new or used air blast, over-the-row and GUSS autonomous sprayer. It reduces chemical and water use by an average of 50% while decreasing run off and airborne drift by up to 97% and 83% respectively.

Based in Indianapolis, Indiana, Smart Apply is a tech company that provides spray systems and precision data products for high value permanent specialty crops, including tree fruit and nuts. In 2023, John Deere purchased the company.