John Deere has introduced a number of enhancements that the company says farmers will find available on model year 2026 combines, including an array of “advanced automation and efficiency updates”.
The new features are focused on helping farmers harvest in more diverse conditions, requiring less operator intervention and providing more operational insights that help improve farm efficiency and productivity.
Bergen Nelson, John Deere go-to-market manager for harvesting equipment, says: “These new updates are designed with farmer input to help unlock the full potential of the John Deere combine.
“These updates are designed to help farmers during harvest – from beginning to end.
“From improving the grain-unloading experience to solutions that help increase the combine working time, these updates are designed to help farmers work in those often-tight harvest windows.”
Harvest automation updates
Updates to the combine’s harvest automation system are designed to give operators new harvesting-related functionality.
Predictive ground speed automation
A part of the ultimate technology package, predictive ground speed automation was introduced with the model year 2025 combines and incorporates predictive inputs measuring crop variability ahead of the combine for controlling ground speed.
Two factory-mounted stereo cameras look ahead and measure crop height and stay in front of the cutter bar. Satellite views leverage the John Deere Operations Center to generate predictive yield maps based on midseason biomass results.
Together, these systems create a more productive and smoother harvesting experience, which allows less skilled operators to maintain grain quality.
Customer feedback provided direction for the following predictive ground speed updates:
Operators would disengage the Predictive Ground Speed Automation feature when entering different field terrains such as waterways, ditches or terraces.
To help better manage these various terrains and maintain the proper speed, a new update will incorporate these unique field attributes to adjust the combine’s ground speed through these sensitive areas.
Another update is weed detection sensing. In addition to sensing crop height and mass, cab-mounted cameras used for predictive ground speed automation will now sense individual weed patches that are mixed in with the crop by detecting weed-like characteristics of plant shape and height.
Depending on the weed density and operator-defined sensitivity, the combine will reduce ground speed as it harvests through these areas to reduce slugging and helping prevent reel or rotor wrapping.
Predictive ground speed automation supports wheat, barley, canola, soybean, corn, peas, edible beans and lentils.
New functionality in the John Deere Operations Center will now automatically send harvest automation files through work planner that includes crop type data from planting so satellite views of predictive ground speed automation can be utilized.
This functionality helps ensure all eligible combines have the essential harvest automation files so productivity can be realized.
Harvest settings automation
Harvest Settings Automation is designed to help combine operators get into the field faster by automatically setting concave clearance, fan speed, rotor speed, sieve clearance and chaffer clearance, all based on the combine model, crop type and geolocation.
Harvest Settings Automation will now include an out-of-crop settings adjustment that engages when the combine is passing through areas already harvested.
In these areas, the system will apply defined offset values to the combine cleaning shoe settings, helping reduce grain loss and maintain a cleaner tank sample in sparse areas of the field.
Harvest Settings Automation supports wheat, barley, canola, soybean, corn and rice crops.
