Preseason Checklist: Yield Monitoring
For some, fall might seem too far away to think about but it will be here sooner than you know it! Fall can be an exceptionally busy time so we recommend taking a few simple steps before harvest to avoid any big surprises.
Investigate – Check over the system. Look at cabling for damage like cuts, severe crimps and/or bends. At the top of the clean grain elevator, pull the flow sensor and look at the foam material between the impact plate and the housing:
has it been chewed on? If anything looks suspect, give your local Ag Leader dealer a call.
TIP: After the harvest season, pull the flow sensor and store it in a sealed location to prevent rodent damage.
Update – Update your display to the newest firmware version. Not only will your display run at its best, you’ll likely also gain valuable features to use. Display firmware can be found at: support.agleader.com. Also, be sure to clear your data card/
USB and make a backup of the display.
Prepare – Load in any field boundaries, new machine configurations or planted varieties in preparation for the new harvest season. If you planted with an InSight, Ag Leader® Integra or InCommand 1200 display you’re already set with your variety maps!
Calibrate – A quality calibration is the most important step for harvest to ensure accurate yield data. This step is essential, as it will ensure the overall yield monitor accuracy and quality of data for each operation.
- Set the header stop height per each harvested crop
- Perform the vibration calibration with the header on the combine
- Update the temperature calibration number
- Perform the distance calibration
Now you’re ready to head to the field! Here you’ll perform the moisture and weight calibration. Ag Leader recommends you perform these steps per crop type per year. That way you’ll have the most accurate yield monitor and an excellent agronomic scorecard of your operation.
Moisture: Per crop type, take a
handheld sample from three
to five locations in a hopper
load. Average and update the
moisture reading in the display
if needed.
Weight: Capture four to six
loads weighing 3,000 to 6,000
lbs each. While taking these
loads, vary the speed between
each or take varying swath
widths. This will expose the
flow sensor to different grain
flow rates and make your
system more accurate across
all field conditions.
Manage – With InCommand and AgFiniti, we put the power in the users’ hands to be successful with data management. Users can export to the AgFiniti Cloud or a USB drive.
Not using an InCommand display? Be sure to export data when you are ready to read it into desktop software. After exporting, logged data will stay on the display for 30 days then be removed from the display permanently.
From all of us at Ag Leader, I wish you a safe and bountiful harvest!
