John Deere announced today the enhancements farmers will find available on model year 2026 combines, including an array of 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.

“These new updates are designed with farmer input to help unlock the full potential of the John Deere combine,” said Bergen Nelson, John Deere go-to-market manager for harvesting equipment. “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.”

Predictive Ground Speed Automation – a part of the ultimate technology package – 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 helps 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. Updates include:

To learn more about the future of autonomous off-highway vehicles, hear keynote speeches about the latest innovations in the field, and visit a wide array of exhibitors, book your place to attend the 4th Autonomous Off-Highway Machinery Technology Summit will be taking place May 21-22, 2025 in Berlin, Germany.

For more information, click here or email us at info@innovatrix.eu for the event agenda. Visit our LinkedIn to stay up to date on our latest speaker announcements and event news.

Source:

John Deere