The Power of Accurate Yield Data: Why Combine Calibration Matters in 2025

By Doug Houser

When harvest season arrives, every bushel matters—not just in the grain tank, but in the data you capture. Yield data has become one of the most valuable tools for decision-making on the farm. Fertility planning, hybrid selection, and variable-rate planting all depend on the quality of information you gather at harvest. But there’s a catch: your data is only as good as your calibration.

In 2025, with technology-packed combines rolling through fields, yield monitors are more advanced than ever. Yet their accuracy still hinges on some basic but essential steps. Let’s walk through yield fundamentals, why calibration matters, and how to keep your system running at peak performance this fall.

Yield Monitor Basics

Your combine’s yield monitor measures both moisture and grain flow, which together determine your yield. Here are the main system components at work:

• Moisture Sensor – A small portion of grain is pulled from the clean grain elevator, passed across the sensor, and augured back into the grain flow.
• Mass Flow Sensor – Measures the impact of grain as it flows up the clean grain elevator.
• Documentation Hardware – From the feeder house lift switch to camera lenses, keeping components clean and free of debris ensures consistent flow and recording.