Harvest Settings Automation | John Deere

New for John Deere model year 2025 combines Harvest settings Automation brings an all new harvesting experience and grain quality control capabilities to the operator from inside the cab. Rather than being reliant on the operator to make the necessary internal settings adjustments at the right moments to achieve desired results, Harvest Setting Automation shifts the operator's focus towards harvesting based job outcomes, specifically grain loss, foreign material and broken grain. Utilizing these three inputs collectively, the automation system will make corresponding internal combine setting changes to achieve and maintain the user defined quality standards. First, let's overview some important elements of the Harvest Automation Display run page. On the left are three separate operator defined acceptance limits respective to each job Grain loss, Foreign material and broken grain. Beside this is a history graph which operators can review the last 15 minutes of harvesting to monitor performance and understand results from internal combine setting adjustments. When made, here are the actual current readings for each outcome along with their identifiable symbol. The Grain Loss module displays how grain loss is distributed across the separator here showing for an X9 combine well as the cleaning shoe. The grain camera section allows the operator to visually inspect the grain samples captured in real time passing through the clean grain or tailings elevators. The top right shares the current combine settings whenever automation is making an adjustment. The Harvest Settings Automation shortcut key with overall performance LED indicator with blue indicating automation is engaged and working. Now that you are more familiar with the overall layout, let's dive deeper into more of the setup and functionality using Harvest Settings Automation. Again, the system focuses on three key grain loss limit, broken grain limit and foreign material limit. It is noteworthy to share that only when the current reading exceeds the acceptance limit does the automation execute a settings change. The operator can set a 0 to 10 unitless value to their preference for each by pressing the white box as seen here. This opens another window with a slider bar. Pressing the plus button increases the number. Consider a large number to be an increased tolerance that is moving from 5 to 6 in foreign material allows for more trash in the grain tank or pressing the minus button decreases the number. You may notice here on this window a color scale is also shown above the slider. Unique for Harvest Settings Automation, it leverages fleet harvesting data based upon combine type and crop type to offer suggested limit range recommendations for your scenario. The color scale shows where the suggested ranges are for your scenario. Note that this information from fleet data will continue to get more precise each year as a growing number of machines collect harvest information. Please refer to the Limit Tips window for more user guidance. Harvest Setting Automation also leverages fleet harvesting data to provide starting combine settings based upon geography, combine type and crop type. No longer does an operator need to invest significant time to set a performance target before enabling automation. Now, with this preset setting logic incorporated into harvest settings, automation operators will realize desired grain quality results much sooner as the combine begins in a ready configuration from the start based upon the user defined setup inputs from the display. This starting line, referenced from fleet data will also continue to get more precise each season as a growing number of machines collect harvesting information. Considering the Grain Loss Limit is a unitless scaler and largely focused upon reducing measured losses. We can relate with the system by providing exactly what is being seen and to gain more precise results. Upon selecting the Grain Loss Acceptance Limit white box in the right hand area of the limit adjustment window, there is a grain loss limit setting tool which is opened by selecting the yellow arrow Next. Either enter in the grain loss limit value currently set or press the capture button for the system to automatically grab and choose Next. Now is the time to ground truth the already harvested ground behind the combine to supply these results into the system. There are various methods such as by lightly scratching away the residue from a 1 foot by 1 foot square to count grain inside this area, but it is highly recommended to utilize loss pans and throwing it between the front and rear axle under the center of the combine. It is best practice to also get one of the left and right of center Get a reliable loss calculation Once we have our pan full, we will need to clean out the trash until we are down to just our kernels of our respective crop. We can then take our kernel count or weight and go into the equipment mobile app to calculate our loss from the tool. Once you have your grain loss, enter the measured value into the display and select Next. You'll then enter your desired loss value and select Next again. This will give you the new grain loss limit that you should set to achieve your desired loss. Remember, there is also the grain loss distribution shown on the display run page as well as from the corner post to provide a deeper context of grain loss contributions to aid in guidance of broken grain or the foreign material limits adjustment box Recall we can visually inspect results by live viewing the camera feed and seeing how that sample relates to the current values the combine is running at or changes from adjustments. Similarly, the slider can be adjusted from this window for both foreign material and broken grain with recommendations sliding right permits for more broken grain and or trash in the tank as mentioned before. From the Harvest Automation run page we can see the changes that are occurring to combine settings due to Harvest Settings Automation Whenever a setting is being adjusted by the automation, the text will appear in blue font along with a symbol indicating the reason for change. For example, in this instance shown fan speed is changing because of exceeded grain loss. Multiple settings and symbols may be shown at the same time depending on the harvesting conditions and the changes taking place. If any setting is being manually controlled that is not with Automation, note that the black text will remain along with a boxed M icon showing next to it indicating it is in manual control. Harvest Settings Automation is enabled as a one year license in either the Premium Combine License or the Ultimate Combine License. Therefore, the more it is utilized, the more value will be realized. There may be certain rare harvest scenarios in which a certain setting may be desired to be locked out from being changed. The good news is with Harvest Settings Automation it can still be utilized as there is a way to limit automation adjustments from a particular setting versus an all or none logic behavior. The system will then continue to monitor and adjust the other settings while allowing you as the operator to control the one locked out for manual intervention only. By selecting the Harvest Settings Automation pane on the right and then selecting settings adjusted by Automation, the user can deselect any combine settings that they do not want to be adjusted. Note that in this window layout that only disabling of one setting per functional group is allowed to provide Harvest Settings Automation the ability to make the necessary adjustments it needs for maintaining results below the acceptance limits.