Combine Losses = Dollar Losses

Mike Rankin
Crops and Soils Agent
University of Wisconsin - Extension

        Making sure the combine is properly adjusted can help insure that you harvest all of the crop as well as all of the profit.  For example, reducing losses by one bushel per acre for a 6-row, 30-inch combine running at a rate of five acres per hour translates into a return of $9.00 per hour (assuming $1.80 per bushel corn price).

         A good combine operator should be able to maintain losses at one percent or less of the crop yield.  If the yield is 150 bushels per acre, the losses should be less than 1.5 bushels per acre.  It is not recommended to cut harvest losses to zero.  At this level, excessive kernel or bean breakage occurs.