A new partnership brings the Bushel Plus SmartPan™ loss measurement system together with John Deere’s Harvest Settings Automation technology, combining physical loss measurement with real-time automated combine adjustment.
The collaboration integrates Bushel Plus’s drop-pan system with John Deere’s automated combine controls, allowing operators to measure actual grain losses in the field and use that data to fine-tune machine performance. The aim is to reduce harvest losses, improve efficiency and support more accurate decision-making during combining.
John Deere’s Harvest Settings Automation automatically adjusts key combine parameters such as rotor speed, fan speed, concave clearance and sieve settings to stay within operator-defined limits for grain loss, cracked grain and foreign material. The SmartPan system provides the real-world measurement needed to calibrate and validate those loss targets.
Ground-truth data for automated harvesting
The SmartPan system works by physically collecting grain and residue beneath the combine, providing a true measurement of losses at ground level. This information is then used to set and verify loss targets within the Harvest Settings Automation screen, ensuring automated adjustments reflect actual field conditions rather than estimates alone.
Operators can deploy the pan at any point during harvest, compare measured losses with readings shown on the cab display and make informed adjustments. Once calibrated, the automation system responds automatically to changing crop conditions, helping maintain output while keeping losses below the chosen threshold.
By converting measured losses into kilograms per hectare, the system allows growers to understand exactly where grain is being lost and whether changes in forward speed or machine setup are delivering genuine improvements.
Integrated Support Through Dealer Networks
Under the agreement, authorised US and Canadian John Deere dealers supply and support the SmartPan system, offering a single point of access for machinery, technology and aftersales support. Joint training sessions, in-field demonstrations and operator education events are planned to help growers understand how physical loss measurement and automation work together in practice.
According to Bushel Plus, the integration ensures that harvest automation is underpinned by accurate field data rather than relying solely on internal sensors.
Supporting Precision from Field to Store
The SmartPan system supports a wide range of crops, including wheat, barley, oilseed rape, maize and beans. It is available in pan widths of approximately 50 cm, 100 cm and 150 cm to suit different combine models, header widths and stubble conditions.
By linking physical loss measurement with automated combine control, the partnership aims to strengthen harvest precision, improve labour efficiency and support better overall crop management decisions.
For growers facing tight margins and variable conditions, the ability to accurately measure and control harvest losses remains a key tool in protecting yield and profitability.
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