By Doug Houser and Luke Fuhrer
Corn and soybean harvest is when months of management decisions finally come together. While getting the crop out in a timely manner is important, harvest performance should be measured by more than acres per hour.
A properly adjusted combine can help reduce grain loss, maintain grain quality, collect better yield data and evenly distribute residue for next year’s crop. Today’s combines also offer more automation to help operators maintain performance as field conditions change.
These topics were highlighted during the 2026 Combine University, which was developed through a partnership between Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and the ISU Digital Ag Innovation Lab. Combine University provided farmers and agricultural professionals with hands-on learning focused on combine settings, harvest loss, automation, yield monitor calibration and residue management.
The principles highlighted during Combine University reinforce an important point: small adjustments can have a big impact on harvest performance. As combines roll this fall, farmers can focus on five key areas to reduce losses, improve efficiency and protect profitability.
1. Know where your grain is going
Before changing combine settings, determine where grain is being lost.
Harvest loss can occur before the combine arrives, at the header, or during threshing, separating and cleaning. Identifying the source is important because changing combine settings won’t correct grain that was already on the ground before harvest or grain being lost at the header.
Source : iastate.edu