System and method to control crop loss in a windrower implement

A method of operating a windrower implement, the windrower implement including a frame extending along a central longitudinal axis between a forward end and a rearward end relative to a direction of travel during operation, an implement head supported from the frame, a merger attachment including a merger conveyor supported from the frame rearward of the implement head, and a forming shield including left and right shield walls and at least one forming shield actuator configured to adjust a position of at least one of the left and right shield walls, the method comprising:

• cutting standing crop material with the implement head and discharging cut crop material from the implement head in a rearward direction along the central longitudinal axis;
• guiding the discharged crop material from the implement head with the forming shield;
• receiving the discharged crop material on the merger conveyor from the implement head and conveying the discharged crop material laterally relative to the central longitudinal axis to form a windrow laterally offset from the central longitudinal axis;
• detecting with a crop inflow sensor one or more parameters corresponding to a crop inflow rate through the implement head and generating a crop inflow sensor signal;
• detecting with a crop outflow sensor one or more parameters corresponding to a crop outflow rate from the merger conveyor and generating a crop outflow sensor signal;
• and
• receiving the crop inflow sensor signal and the crop outflow sensor signal in a controller, comparing the crop inflow rate and the crop outflow rate with the controller and thereby detecting a crop loss, and generating an output signal with the controller corresponding to the detected crop loss.