Deere Makes First Investment in Farm Drones With Imaging Deal

World agriculture-equipment leader Deere & Co. is making its first investment in drones with the acquisition of Sentera, a remote imagery provider that can connect to the machines increasingly used on the farm.

Drones equipped with Sentera’s technology can quickly capture high-resolution images that allow farmers to survey crops and create maps where weeds are located, Deere said in a statement Friday. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.

The move into drones comes as technological advances as well as tight labor in rural areas has prompted growers to turn to automation and autonomy to help with planting, treating and harvesting ...