Calibration of harvesting head having a ground force sensing system

A method for dynamically operating a header float system of an agricultural vehicle having a header movably mounted to a frame by an actuator and a flotation adjustment system that relies on ground-contact force measurement, the method comprising:

• initially raising the header or a portion thereof to a position out of contact with the ground surface;
• detecting a status of a load sensor, the load sensor configured to generate an output signal representative of a ground force sensed by the load sensor;
• determining an initial zero value sensor output signal representative of the position of the header or the portion thereof initially raised out of contact with the ground surface;
• calibrating the load sensor with the initial zero value sensor output signal;
• operating the header at a working height to process a crop material;
• detecting a subsequent position of the header or the portion thereof out of contact with the ground surface;
• determining a subsequent zero value sensor output signal representative of the subsequent position of the header or the portion thereof raised out of contact with the ground surface;
• and
• re-calibrating the load sensor with the subsequent zero value sensor output signal.