Two Gold and 22 Silver medals – More than 250 registrations
Agritechnica Innovation Awards 2025. The leading innovation award scheme in the agricultural machinery industry received 251 entries of which 234 were approved for the list of exhibition innovations. The DLG Innovation Jury has awarded two innovations with gold and 22 innovations with the silver medal.
An Agritechnica Innovation Gold medal is conferred on an innovation demonstrating a new concept in which the functionality has changed decisively and gives rise to a new process or marks a substantial improvement to an existing process.
Key criteria:
- Practical significance at farm level
- Operating profitability and efficiency benefits
- Improvement on the environment and energy consumption.
- Work load reduction and improved health and safety
An Agritechnica Innovation Silver medal is conferred on an innovation for an existing product such that a significant improvement in functionality and process is achieved. The product does not fully meet the criteria for the award of an Innovation Gold Medal. Key criteria include:
- Relevance at farm level
- Work load reduction and enhanced work quality
- Improved reliability
- Positive impact on environmental sustainability and energy efficiency
Gold:
Product: Line Traction
Company: Müller Landmaschinen GmbH
Hall/stand: 2 / F38
Joint development with Aebi & Co. AG Maschinenfabrik
In order to avoid tension in the drivetrain of all-wheel-drive vehicles when cornering, the differences in speed between the front and rear axles or between the two wheels on an axle must be balanced. Differentials are most widespread today, whereas hydrostatic or electric individual wheel drives are only used in isolated cases as alternatives in self-propelled agricultural machinery or are still in the prototype stage. If slip occurs, the wheel speeds have to be reduced or even synchronised completely. Differential locks, in particular, therefore effectively compel the vehicle to drive straight ahead. Consequently, they do not support the driver on difficult terrain or in complicated driving situations and are also often difficult to operate.
With 'Line Traction', Müller Landmaschinen is presenting a completely new drive concept for the Aebi Terratrac slope tractor. This has been developed together with Müller Landmaschinen and evolved to series production maturity. Line Traction not only enables the longitudinal differential that is commonly found on such vehicles for equalising the speed between the two drive axles to be forgone, but also the transverse differentials, which ensure speed equalisation between the wheels on one axle.
The drive shafts of all four wheels are therefore always at the same speed. The wheel speed is only adjusted in the downstream planetary final drives. This is where the power flows from the sun gear to the wheel hub via the planet carrier. Unlike conventional final drives, however, the ring gear in the Line Traction drive is not permanently connected to the axle housing, but is supported hydrostatically by an outboard cam plate and radial pistons. If the Aebi Terratrac travels through a curve, the proportional valves integrated into the hydrostatic circuits (one per wheel) can be specifically opened, resulting in the controlled counter-rotation of the ring gears. This in turn results in a reduction in the speed of the planet carrier and therefore the wheel speeds. The outer wheel always assumes the role of the 'master' in this case, which means that the hydrostatic system completely fixes the ring gear in position. At the other wheels ('slaves'), which travel shorter distances, the proportional valves are opened until the respective nominal speeds are achieved depending on the steering angle and speed. Practical advantages: each wheel is always driven at the correct speed, even during cornering.
The Line Traction drive system therefore not only improves traction and reduces damage to the turf, but also and in particular increases safety during turning manoeuvres on slopes, in which the locks would have to be disengaged in classic drive concepts with differentials.
Short text:
The completely new 'Line Traction’ drive concept developed by Müller Landmaschinen and Aebi & Co. AG Maschinenfabrik replaces the previously usual longitudinal and transverse differentials with a hydrostatic system in the planetary final drives. For the first time, this enables each wheel to be driven at the correct speed when cornering, which vastly improves traction and significantly increases safety at the critical limits.
Product: Overall concept of a 70 t big baler
Company: CLAAS
Hall/stand: 13 / C18
The market has geared up for striking and interesting parameters for big balers with a cross-section of 120 x 90 cm. To enable optimum use to be made of transport lorries, such a large bale should have a transportable length of 2.45 meters and weigh at least 500 kg when filled with dry straw, corresponding to more than 200 kg/m3.
The concept of a 70 t big baler that has been completely redeveloped by CLAAS is designed for a combination of high throughputs with constantly high bale densities and secure binding. The machine concept is based on a main gearbox that is integrated into the frame, which enables a linear power flow as well as the use of a slender drawbar and a short propeller shaft. Two flywheels rotating at 1,650 rpm that are arranged longitudinally to the direction of travel and each weight 202 kg store a great deal of energy and stabilise the compaction process. They are positioned on the left and right sides of the machine respectively. As these are switched on in succession on starting, followed by the piston and then the rotor, the technical effort required for starting is less than that of previous solutions. In the event of overloading, the flywheels are abruptly decoupled via an electrohydraulically activated multi-plate clutch and are therefore separated from the main drive. The piston is actively braked in this process, which removes the need for shear bolts and cam clutches. Since the entire drive train consists of power bands and enclosed gearboxes, maintenance effort is significantly reduced: besides the drive propeller shaft, only one other shaft leading to the knotter mechanism has to be maintained.
New assistance systems support and relieve the driver and the technology. The torques of the rotor and feed rake are continuously registered, for instance, and are automatically shut off shortly before overloading actually occurs at the feed rake. This extensively enables the number of failures to be reduced. The load data recorded via the sensors is additionally displayed on the ISOBUS terminal and provides the driver with information on the current operating rate status of the baler. The TIM solution (TIM = Tractor Implement Management) so far familiar from round and big balers can also be used here. After entering the corresponding driving strategy, such as e.g. maximum throughput or high bale density, the system adjusts the driving speed depending on the machine load and material behaviour. The AI-based evaluations of the sensor values enable the optimum performance level to be maintained automatically, even with changing crop types or windrows.
Another AI-supported assistance system regulates the length and weight of the bale in synchronisation with the baling process according to individual specifications. This enables a very high level of bale weight and length homogeneity. The driver only has to set the length and weight; the system undertakes all other adjustments automatically. In addition, the algorithm uses an internal memory to continuously evolve. Regulation is therefore anticipatory rather than subsequently corrective. With weight deviations of only +- 2%, this concept sets new standards in terms of quality and cost-effectiveness, and all without an integrated weighing device.
The new knotter produces a double knot according to the McCormick principle, which combines high knot strength with low yarn tension and consistently rules out yarn residues in the knotting process. 70% of the yarn's tensile strength are therefore retained, as in the classic loop knot. This enables yarn with a higher running length per kilogramme to be used, or the number of knots per metre to be increased while maintaining the same bale stability – an economically and ecologically valuable development.
With this entirely new baler concept in its 70 t big baler, CLAAS is establishing an entirely new performance dimension in the big baler segment.
Short text
The concept of a 70 t big baler that has been completely redeveloped by CLAAS is designed for a combination of high throughputs with constantly high bale densities and secure binding, and establishes entirely new performance dimensions for this machine type.
Silver:
Product: DEUTZ-FAHR TAGS - Tractor Assisted Guidance System
Company: SAME DEUTZ-FAHR DEUTSCHLAND GmbH
Hall/stand: 04 / D11
Joint development with Stereolabs
The camera systems that have become increasingly widespread on the agricultural market so far serve above all to cover blind spots that are not visible from the driver's seat or to provide support when crossing roads. Initial, basic solutions for detecting obstacles are available, but – in contrast to the automotive sector – there is still a lack of integrated systems that enable additional functions requiring intervention into the machine's control system. DEUTZ-FAHR is the first manufacturer to introduce 'Advanced Driver Assistance Systems' (ADAS) for tractors. These driver assistance systems called ‘DEUTZ-FAHR TAGS - Tractor Assisted Guidance System’ will be installed for the first time in the new model series in the upper 6-cylinder medium class, which will be presented at Agritechnica 2025. The standard package includes the 'lane keeping assistant', 'cornering assistant' and 'object/person recognition' functions, which are familiar from passenger cars and lorries. With the additional 'Advanced' package, these can be extended by adaptive cruise control with collision warning and traffic sign recognition. The assistance functions should give consideration to tractor-specific features. These include the presence of front- and rear-mounted implements on the tractor itself, driving on side roads without markings or following closely behind forage harvesters when harvesting maize fields. The ADAS functions are based on a completely new electronics architecture as well as various sensor and camera systems. With the DEUTZ-FAHR TAGS - Tractor Assisted Guidance System concept, DEUTZ-FAHR is making a contribution to safety when travelling on the road and manoeuvring on the farm. At the same time, various prerequisites are being established for autonomous functions in the future.
Short text
With the DEUTZ-FAHR TAGS - Tractor Assisted Guidance System, DEUTZ-FAHR is significantly advancing the electronics architecture of tractors and therefore enabling the integration of various assistance systems, some of which are familiar from passenger cars and lorries. This contributes to safety when travelling on the road and manoeuvring on the farm, and simultaneously establishes the prerequisites for autonomous functions in the future.
Product: Predictive, completely adaptive drivetrain management system for stepless tractor gearboxes
Company: CLAAS
Hall/stand: 13 / C18
Engine/gearbox management systems enable tractors to be operated in ranges that offer favourable consumption and ensure comfortable driving. The systems used so far have usually been based on predefined engine speed and transmission ratio combinations, which can lead to drops in speed or operation in unfavourable ranges under extensively fluctuating load conditions.
CLAAS is therefore presenting a new 'adaptive drivetrain management system' for its new large Axion tractors. This is based on efficiency performance maps for the engine, gearbox and hydraulic system as well as an algorithm that is capable of learning. In the 'Auto Load Anticipation' sub-function, the system notes the power requirements and load jumps during the first journey to and from the field, e.g. on the headland when lowering soil tillage implements. During subsequent journeys, the tractor then automatically adjusts the engine speed and gear ratios before these load jumps occur. This enables the familiar 'choking' to be prevented. Further sub-functions include 'Fuel Optimised Load Control' and 'Auto Droop'. The former ensures that the engine is always operated along the characteristic curve with the lowest specific consumption in the partial load range. Conversely, 'Auto Droop' is aimed at full load, and ensures that the maximum possible power is always delivered to the gearbox output at the work-specific nominal speeds. On the basis of pump and valve characteristics, the 'Hydraulic Flow Adaption' sub-function enables the tractor to recognise whether the current volume of oil that is delivered is sufficient to meet the implements' needs. The system is rounded off with 'Engine Boost Management', which continuously analyses the power actually flowing from the engine to the PTO shaft and the gearbox output. If necessary, the engine's power is adjusted so that the permissible torque limits are not exceeded at any point in the drive train – continuously and without rigid boost stages.
Thanks to the interaction of all sub-functions, the predictive, adaptive drive train management system for stepless tractor gearboxes from CLAAS enables a good balance to be struck between minimum fuel consumption, maximum power delivery and optimum handling characteristics, and represents the innovative evolution of the familiar concepts.
Short text
The predictive, adaptive drive train management system for stepless tractor gearboxes that CLAAS has developed for its new large Axion tractors combines efficiency performance maps for the engine, gearbox and hydraulic system with an algorithm that is capable of learning. Particularly the 'Auto Load Anticipation', for instance, is able to proactively adapt the engine speed to load jumps and therefore deliver the power required in any situation with minimum consumption.
Product: GRIMME Go-Clean concept: easy and safe cleaning for rotary tillers
Company: GRIMME Landmaschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG
Hall/stand: 25 / F04
In potato growing, cleaning rotary tillers is often neglected when switching from one field to the next. The work is laborious because the housing is usually designed continuously and extensively encapsulates the tools, which makes access significantly more difficult. Cleaning is made even more complicated for the operator if the implement is mounted on the tractor's three-point linkage. Consequently, cleaning work is carried out infrequently or inadequately, particularly when contractors are under time pressure to quickly travel from one customer to another, for instance. This can lead to the spread of soil-borne diseases, stubborn weeds such as yellow nutsedge and pests such as e.g. nematodes.
Grimme has now actively tackled this problem with the Go-Clean concept and is presenting a practical solution for the first time: the hydraulically folding polyurethane (PU) housing reduces soil adhesion thanks to a change in material. To facilitate cleaning and maintenance work, the machine can therefore be opened to its full working width. The user is provided with safe and unobstructed access to the interior of the housing and the tools. In this way, cleaning and maintenance work can be carried out quickly and safely and the chain of infection from one field to the next can be effectively interrupted.
Go-Clean is therefore able to foster field hygiene by effectively preventing the transfer of weeds and pests, improve work management because cleaning can be carried out quickly and thoroughly, and increase work safety by enabling the user to work on the machine without the risk of any hazards thanks to good accessibility.
Short text
The Go-Clean concept from Grimme for rotary tillers in potato growing minimises soil adhesion by using PU as the housing material. In addition, the housing can be hydraulically opened to its full working width for the first time, providing the user with safe and unobstructed access to the working tools for cleaning and maintenance work – with significant advantages for field hygiene, work management and work safety.
Product: LEMKEN iQblue Fan Automation and automated fan control
Company: LEMKEN GmbH & Co. KG
Hall/stand: 11 / B51
On pneumatic seed drills, the air volume is currently adjusted via the fan speed. In this process, the speeds recommended by the manufacturer are set depending on the machine type, i.e. with or without a front-mounted tank, and depending on the line length for the seed lot to be drilled. These are usually too high and have to be adjusted during the work. The fact that the fan speed does not change when the lines are blocked and no fault detection is therefore possible is also critical.
The automatic fan control system iQblue Fan Automation from Lemken now records the intaken volume of air for the first time and uses this information as a control variable depending on the floating speed of the seed and fertiliser to be transported and the mass to be delivered per unit of time. In this process, there is a correlation between the intaken volume of air and the vacuum calibrated by the manufacturer. The system is available from the manufacturer, from a simple display to automatic fan control via an ISOBUS application and iQblue connect. The air volume can also be optimally controlled in the case of implement combinations involving multiple fans. This enables practical, adaptive regulation irrespective of the machine or application.
With iQblue Fan Automation, Lemken is significantly advancing the development of pneumatic seeding technology.
Short text
With iQblue Fan Automation, Lemken is solving the problem of incorrectly set air volumes and undetected blockages that is so far familiar with all pneumatic seed drills. The measurement function factors in machine-specific differences such as line routing, the line length and line resistances – offering genuine added value.
Product: VarioSmart
Company: RAUCH Landmaschinenfabrik GmbH
Hall/stand: 9 / E15
While infinitely adjusting the boundary disc speed has long since been possible on fertiliser spreaders with a hydraulic PTO drive, adjusting the speed of both spreading discs or folding deflectors have so far been relied on in fertiliser spreaders with a mechanical PTO drive. These systems represent a simple solution, but their distribution accuracy is often lower.
VarioSmart, the improved boundary spreading system from RAUCH Landmaschinenfabrik, now makes it possible for the first time to regulate the speed of the right-hand spreading disc on a fertiliser spreader with a mechanical PTO drive. This allows the driver to infinitely reduce the speed of the right-hand spreading disc from 900 to 400 revolutions per minute from the driver's cab. This enables more precise distribution of the fertiliser at the field boundary thanks to more steeply descending boundary spreading patterns and therefore reduces the risk of fertiliser granules falling on paths and other non-target areas.
The VarioSmart system therefore enables precise distribution of the fertiliser at the field boundaries for the first time on fertiliser spreaders with a mechanical PTO drive by adjusting the speed on one side. The amount of fertiliser, costs and environmental impact can be minimised in this way.
With VarioSmart, RAUCH Landmaschinenfabrik is therefore offering a smart boundary spreading solution and an interesting innovation, particularly for small farms.
Short text
VarioSmart, the improved boundary spreading system from RAUCH, infinitely regulates the boundary speed on fertiliser spreaders with a mechanical PTO drive, as a result of which more precise spreading is possible at field boundaries. This enables fertiliser to be saved, yields to be increased and environmental impacts to be reduced.
Product: ZA-TS 01 AutoSpread
Company: AMAZONEN-WERKE H. DREYER SE & Co. KG
Hall/stand: 9 / D32
So far, there are no self-adjusting fertiliser spreaders, and existing systems can only determine the spreading direction on the field, whereby lateral distribution is automatically kept constant on the basis of a nominal spreading direction that has to be specified. If an incorrect nominal spreading direction is set as the target variable, however, this results in incorrect application with reductions in yield and quality.
A self-adjusting fertiliser spreader is now available on the market for the first time in the form of AutoSpread from AMAZONE. In addition to the spreading direction, the throw is now also registered via radar on the centrifugal spreader, enabling an overall electronic all-round view. Laying out spreading trays or spreading mats is now no longer absolutely necessary. The system uses autonomous spreader settings to generate a live spreading pattern, which is continuously validated by AI on the field and compared with the digital twin from the spreading hall. This enables a continuous autonomous response to inhomogeneous fertiliser qualities during application. Problems caused by worn or clogged spreading mechanisms are immediately displayed to the driver. In this way, the real spreading pattern is continuously monitored and controlled, and the spreading pattern quality is visualised. At the same time, this also offers the advantage that the other control systems, such as section control, wind control, curve control, boundary spreading, etc. are continuously optimised. This maximises fertiliser usage efficiency, as a result of which working time and costs are reduced and the environment is protected in the long term.
AutoSpread from AMAZONE therefore marks an innovative evolution in the area of mineral fertiliser spreaders.
Short text
AutoSpread from AMAZONE makes fertiliser spreaders self-adjusting, thereby consigning the regular deployment of spreading trays to the past. This development from AMAZONE enables the spreading direction and, for the first time, also the throw, to be registered autonomously, allowing the spreading pattern to be continuously validated. This allows fertilisers to be applied with greater efficiency, as a result of which costs and working time are reduced and the environment is protected at the same time.
Product: Bioselect RC 250
Company: BÖRGER GmbH Drehkolbenpumpen
Hall/stand: 23 / B18
When an order is placed, a contractor is usually only provided with rough information about the farm manure to be separated. Only the type of farm manure is known in the majority of cases. Conversely, information about the farm manure's dry matter and fibre content is rarely received. This can vary depending on the animals' species, age and feed, and is also subject to seasonal fluctuations due to rainfall. If the farm manure has not been homogenised adequately prior to separation, variability in the dry matter and fibre content can also occur during the separation process. It is then often necessary to react during the separation process, which necessitates technical know-how, but which also involves a considerable effort depending on the medium.
The new Bioselect RC250 screw press separator from Börger combines numerous advantages: a Multi Disc vario with a separate drive enables a continuous response to the medium to be separated during the separation process. With the Multi Disc vario, the surface pressure, rotational speed and direction of rotation are adjusted to the characteristics of the medium, thereby regulating the clearance rate (plug removal per Multi Disc vario revolution). This increases the discharge rate, but also reduces friction, energy consumption and wear. This not only enables a higher throughput to be achieved, but also extensively reduces energy consumption and effort.
The Bioselect RC250 separator therefore offers farms numerous advantages while also contributing to sustainability.
Short text
Thanks to the integrated Multi Disc vario, the new BIOSELECT RC2050 press screw separator enables adjustment to the medium to be separated while offering high throughput at the same time, as a result of which labour time, energy costs and effort can be significantly reduced.
Product: SMART-HILL
Manufacturer: Einböck GmbH
Hall/stand: 11 / B04
Joint development together with CLAAS E-Systems
Mechanical weed control by means of hoeing is also becoming increasingly popular in conventional cultivation, but many farms still regard hoeing technology critically. The cause of this is problems in the headland area, when driving along contours and on cropped terrain. Particularly on sloping terrain, the tractor often drifts sideways downhill. As a result of this, the hoeing elements are no longer optimally aligned with the crop row, which can even lead to the crops being hoed along with the weeds.
The SMART-HILL system that has been jointly developed by Einböck and CLAAS E-Systems is an innovative extension of the camera-controlled ROW-GUARD moving frame. The high-resolution CLAAS CULTI CAM stereo camera that is installed here analyses colour information and 3D surface models to precisely register the slope gradient. The integrated implement computer processes the collected data in real time and actuates an additionally installed rotating axis via a proportional valve, which in turn automatically aligns the hoeing implement at a 90° angle to the crop row, thereby compensating for non-linear drift on slopes or even during extensive steering movements. Thanks to this additional rotational plane, precise and fast hoeing is now also possible on sloping terrain, and the use of finger hoes is also reliably possible on slopes for the first time.
In combination with existing control systems, SMART-HILL establishes the basis and a practical solution for uncompromising precision and higher working speeds in mechanical weed control under difficult conditions.
Short text
The SMART-HILL system that has been jointly developed by Einböck and CLAAS E-Systems determines the slope gradient during hoeing by means of a high-resolution CLAAS CULTI CAM stereo camera and automatically keeps the hoeing implement at a 90° angle to the crop row via an axis that is actuated using this information. SMART-HILL therefore establishes the basis and a practical solution for uncompromising precision and higher working speeds in mechanical weed control under difficult conditions.
Product: Proactive BoomControl
Company: HORSCH Maschinen GmbH
Hall/stand: 12 / B05
At present, the majority of booms on crop protection sprayers are controlled using ultrasonic sensors. These sensors measure the distance from the crop and react when the system registers a deviation from the set nominal value. Due to the short lead time and the small areas that are scanned, the booms have to react very quickly to adjust to crop edges, for instance, which can prove extremely disadvantageous if there are any gaps in the crop. Added to this is the fact that the sensors only register the target area distance selectively, with the result that only small areas are scanned over the entire working width. On terrain that descends sharply towards the edge of the field, for instance, this means that the middle sensor would maintain the height of the boom, the outer sensor would lower the boom, and the boom in between would come into contact with the crop. Optimum boom control is therefore always a compromise.
The potential solution starts with exchanging the sensor technology. To do this, the proactive BoomControl system from Horsch implements significantly less susceptible 3D radar sensors, uses their data to model the entire target surface in the near range of 5 to 10 m and employs the terrain and crop surface contour computed in this for proactive boom control. In this process, the radar sensors' cones overlap and register the distance from numerous objects such as the surface of the soil and the crop, leaves, ears and gaps, as well as furrows in the soil for irrigation and obstacles. Errors that can occur, for instance, on sharply ascending or descending terrain are avoided by analysing the immediate vicinity rather than the wider environment. At the same time, scanning the wider area enables early responses to extensive changes in terrain. In addition, the values of all sensors are compared with each other, as a result of which the target area distance of the boom between the sensors is optimised and contact between the boom and the target areas is avoided.
The target surface that is modelled in advance enables the new BoomControl system to act early on rather than having to react. The distance between the nozzle and the target area is maintained more precisely across the entire boom width, which reduces the risk of errors, particularly during band and spot spraying or when maintaining distances during low-drift spraying. Difficulties caused by reflections on the spray fan, which can occur when using double flat fan nozzles with ultrasonic sensors, are also ruled out. Universally scanning all objects additionally enables the crop density to be estimated, thereby allowing the boom control system to be used as a smart sensor, e.g. for variable application.
The new BoomControl system from Horsch optimises the spraying distance by analysing the target surface in the near environment with radar sensors and using the collected data for proactive boom control. This minimises the risk of errors and achieves an optimum spraying distance even on sharply ascending or descending terrain and under difficult conditions.
Product: Yield EyeQ
Company: Carl Geringhoff Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG
Hall/stand: 13 / A39
Harvesting header pick-up losses are a factor that cannot be disregarded when harvesting threshing crops, particularly under difficult harvesting conditions with recumbent cereals or threshing crops with infructescences close to the surface of the soil. Because these losses can be much higher than combine harvester losses, it is necessary to adjust the harvesting header to minimise losses. So far, pick-up losses have only been assessed visually or measured in trials with a great deal of effort. In normal use, even when using header adjustment technologies, the operator is not provided with any information regarding the correct setting of the harvesting header.
Geringhoff has developed the Yield EyeQ scanner technology together with start-ups. High-resolution cameras are located on the rear wall of the header and scan the grains and infructescences located on the ground. This means that pre-harvest losses are also recorded, i.e. the grains and infructescences that are lying on the ground prior to the harvesting process. If the operator now changes the settings on the harvesting header by optimising the reel position for grain that falls out easily, for instance, the change in grain losses is displayed to him. The mapped pre-harvest and pick-up losses can additionally be used as a basis for crop production decisions. The degree of use between the grown and the actual grain yield can be calculated, particularly in the case of critical crops such as legumes.
Therefore, YieldEyeQ provides the operator with decision-making support regarding the effect of adjustment optimisations on the harvesting header during the harvesting process for the first time. Yield EyeQ also establishes the basis for further applications, up to and including the development of action recommendations for optimising the settings on harvesting headers.
Short text
With Yield EyeQ, Gehringhoff has established a decision-making support system that is able to register and evaluate changes in the settings of the harvesting header for the first time. This information, which is already important for the operator today, forms the basis for future action recommendations, up to and including the automation of harvesting header optimisation.
Product: Schumacher EasyCut3 (EC3) QuickFit cutting system
Company: SCHUMACHER GmbH
Hall/stand: 13 / B25
Damaged knife blades or guards on the grain cutter bar cause an entire harvesting chain to grind to halt. Although numerous detailed solutions have been developed to save time during repairs in the past, the risk of accidents during the work has largely remained. The person carrying out the repair is still located in the danger zone directly in front of the cutter bar beneath the raised reel. Two bolts and possibly a crop lifter have to be removed to exchange a double guard. Two bolts additionally have to be removed and the corresponding guard is dismantled or moved to the side in order to replace a blade. Even the knife is often moved to the side. Time and again, this leads to injuries to the head and usually to the hands.
For the first time since the introduction of the finger bar mower, the EasyCut III cutting system offers hole-free guards and knife blades. The guards and blades are bolted to the frame (cutter bar) or the rod (cutter back) with the aid of adapter plates, resulting in increased stability. During replacement, the patented design means that the fastening nuts located on the upper side only have to be released and removal or insertion carried out from the front. This prevents bolts from being lost and does away with the need for tools to be applied from beneath, thereby increasing installation comfort. In particular, however, it is not necessary to move guards or knives, as a result of which the risk of accidents during this work is significantly reduced. The guard geometry has also been changed, thereby improving foreign object rejection and increasing cutting surfaces.
EasyCut III therefore makes a significant contribution to increasing work safety and operating reliability during grain harvesting.
Short text:
The EasyCut III cutting system from Schumacher does without holes in the knife blades and guards, thereby increasing stability and significantly reducing the risk of injury during maintenance and repair. EasyCut III therefore makes a significant contribution to increasing work safety and operating reliability during grain harvesting.
Product: New Holland Corn Header Automation
Company: New Holland
Hall/stand: 03 / B21
For maize harvesting, combine harvesters in the top output category are equipped with grain elevators with a delivery rate of more than 200 t/h. The corresponding performance of these machines, particularly when harvesting dry grain maize, means that the maize picker is increasingly becoming a limiting factor. Picking losses increase if settings are not optimised, and released grains and even whole maize ears are left in the field in the form of pick-up losses. The intake of plant parts into the combine harvester increases, as a result of which threshing performance decreases and diesel consumption increases. The problem is exacerbated with increasingly heterogeneous crops.
Ner Holland is countering this situation with its new 'Corn Header Automation' optimisation technology for twelve- and sixteen-row maize pickers. The core element of this automated system is loss sensors in the area where the plants are intaken onto the divider hoods as well as sensors for the inclination of the maize plants and the picker, the speed of the picker rollers and the picker gap width, i.e. the distance between the picker rails. A camera is additionally located in the bottom of the inclined conveyor. The camera uses a downstream AI system to register the percentage of plants and the proportion of whole cobs or grain that are fed into the combine harvester. The loss sensors show the quantity of sprayed grains, which is an indication of excessively intensive picking. The light barrier recognises whether the plants are being drawn in at a right angle to the picking unit. The control technology continuously adjusts the picking intensity and the inclination of the picker to the harvesting conditions.
The fully-automated maize picker can therefore reduce pick-up losses by up to 50 percent. At the same time, the energy efficiency of grain maize harvesting is improved and the combine harvester is used more consistently at its performance limit. This reduces costs while also relieving the operator, and forms a basis for fully automating grain maize harvesting.
Short text
New Holland's 'Corn Header Automation' registers losses and machine statuses at the picking header, analyses the picking intensity with the aid of AI and adjusts it optimally to the harvesting conditions. This minimises pick-up losses and increases the efficiency of the combine harvester while relieving the operator at the same time.
Product: GRIMME: RICONDA – patented sieve web with unique, wear-resistant and maintenance-free connection system
Company: GRIMME Landmaschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG
Hall/stand: 25 / F04
Joint development together with Ricon GmbH & Co. KG
Sieve webs are fundamental conveying and separating elements in root crop harvesters, that are exposed to heavy loads and continuous wear. This particularly applies to the sieve web connections, which are designed above all as lock connections with a mechanical pivot point. Opening the sieve webs for maintenance work or to exchange the locks as well as exchanging entire sieve webs is relatively time-consuming and labour-intensive at present.
For the first time, the Riconda sieve web concept consists of modular sieve web elements that are connected using a newly developed locking mechanism consisting of an anchor plate, sieve web bar and two bolts. In this case, the fabric in the belt is no longer interrupted but vulcanised in loops, as a result of which the more resilient longitudinal fibres of the belt absorb the tensile forces. At the same time, the rotational movement takes place in the elastic belt, enabling the drop heights to be further reduced via smaller deflection rollers as well.
The newly developed Riconda sieve web concept therefore ensures significantly lower wear and eliminates the need for segment-specific lock parts. The sub-segments additionally facilitate the exchange of damaged sieve web sections or assembly work in the sieve channel and support a quality-oriented flow of material through the harvesters.
Short text
For the first time, the Riconda sieve web concept developed by Grimme and Ricon for root crop harvesters consists of sieve web elements that can be assembled in modular form. It manages without segment-specific lock parts and promises significantly less wear as well as easier maintenance and repair.
Product: KRONE OptiSet on the KRONE Vendro
Company: Maschinenfabrik Bernard Krone GmbH & Co. KG
Hall/stand: 27 / F32
Every grassland farmer who produces preserved feed in the form of hay and silage uses a rotary tedder. A flatter rotor inclination is better for turning when the crop is broadly distributed after tedding, because this increases the tines' contact area with the grass stubble and therefore enables more consistent pick-up, resulting in a more consistent dry matter content. Although every manufacturer of rotary tedders offers such an adjustment option, they – including the tool-free adjustment options –are hardly ever used. The effort and time that are required appear to be too high, so the implement remains in its 'factory setting'.
Krone is offering an innovative and convenient solution to this problem in the form of OptiSet. From the cab, the user can centrally and synchronously adjust the spreading angle of all rotors infinitely between 13 and 19 degrees at the push of a button using a remote control. This enables a consistent drying process to be controlled, particularly in the case of heterogeneous grassland growth. This solution is also pioneering: it enables automatic adjustment even in autonomous operation and contributes to ensuring the efficiency and quality of feed harvesting in the long term.
Krone OptiSet therefore represents a pioneering development and simplification in the adjustment of rotary tedders.
Short text
By vastly simplifying spreading angle adjustment at the push of a button from the cab, Krone OptiSet ensures a more consistent feed drying process, particularly in the case of heterogeneous grassland growth, and therefore increased efficiency and quality in feed harvesting.
The following three innovations have each received a silver medal. As they share a common underlying concept, they are explained together in a single description.
Product: CEMOS AUTO CHOPPING, automatically controlled grain processing based on AI-supported CSPS real-time analysis
Company: CLAAS
Hall/stand: 13 / C18
and
Product: ForageQualityCam
Company: Fendt - AGCO GmbH
Hall/stand: 20 / B26
and
Product: ForageCam
Company: New Holland
Hall/stand: 3 / B21
Joint development together with KU Leuven, Mebios Biophotonics
So far, it has only been possible to determine the important CSPS value (Corn Silage Processing Score), which is the central indicator for the degree of grain processing and therefore a significant quality characteristic of maize silage, in the laboratory. A value of 70% and higher is regarded as very good, because optimum conversion by cattle and also in biogas plants is then ensured.
Like the ForageQualityCam from Fendt and the ForageCam from New Holland, the core element of the Cemos Auto Chopping assistance system from CLAAS is a camera installed in the chopper tower. This uses artificial intelligence to analyse the structure of the chopped material and then determine the current grain breakdown. During the analysis, the AI first distinguishes between grain and residual plant constituents in order to subsequently measure all grain constituents. By definition, the grain constituents are divided into the fractions > 4.75 mm and < 4.75 mm for the CSPS and a percentage ratio is calculated. The driver is immediately informed of the currently measured CSPS on the display. This information can also be used to always adjust the cracker's gap size to the current harvesting conditions. Field-specific documentation offers the option of adaptation to future cultivation and variety strategies.
The three products, the Cemos Auto Chopping assistance system from CLAAS, ForageQualityCam from Fendt and ForageCam from New Holland, therefore represent a milestone in the real-time quality analysis of chopped material. They support and assist the driver with a powerful optimisation and safety tool, increase throughput and reduce both wear and fuel consumption.
Short text
The Cemos Auto Chopping assistance system from CLAAS, the ForageQualityCam from Fendt and the ForageCam from New Holland analyse the chopped material using an AI-supported camera and provide the driver with a significant quality characteristic for maize silage in the form of the Corn Silage Processing Score – for optimally convertible feed while simultaneously relieving strain on the driver and resources.
Product: JAGUAR 1000 overall concept
Company: CLAAS
Hall/stand: 13 / C18
Farms with high harvest volumes and tight time slots are making ever-increasing requirements on their forage harvesters in terms of throughput, functional reliability, multi-crop suitability, operating comfort and cost-effectiveness. Throughput rates of up to 500 t/h are in demand. Existing forage harvester concepts often encounter their limits here due to bottlenecks in the material flow or assemblies that are not optimally coordinated in technical terms.
The new Jaguar 1000 from CLAAS is designed with a power output of 1,110 hp for high performance and simultaneously adheres to a total width of 3.30 m in combination with 800 mm tyres, enabling easy registration for on-road use. The core element of the completely new machine concept is assemblies that are consistently coordinated to the widest material flow channel, which has a width of 910 mm. The newly developed V-Flex cutter drum enables various drum configurations (V20 to V36). Only the ring segments and blades have to be exchanged for this. The new harvesting headers have also been evolved accordingly. These include a pick-up with a working width of up to 4.5 m and a maize picker head with a width of up to 10.5 m. Both headers are driven via two independent drive trains. One drive with variable speeds runs via the quick coupler while the second hydraulic drive with separate speed adjustment drives the pick-up's collector or the feed drums of the maize picker head. The powerful pick-up has a tighter auger pitch and a shorter distance to the crop intake, as well as direct drives via propeller shafts and gearboxes. The speeds of the collector and intake auger can be controlled independently of one another and adjusted to the cutting length and the driving speed. As a new driver assistance system, the CEMOS Auto Header automatically regulates the speeds of the cutting, conveying and transfer units in the maize picker head, enabling the best possible forage harvester results in terms of quality and economy to be achieved under heterogeneous harvesting conditions without placing any additional strain on the driver. Since good cutting quality stands and falls with sharp knives and a tight shear bar setting, the condition of the knives in the forage harvester is monitored with the aid of the CEMOS AUTO KNIFE CONDITION assistance system. What are called reluctance sensors monitor the sharpness of the knives contactlessly over the entire knife width. The driver sets the degree of sharpness on the terminal, and the system then automatically indicates the need for sharpening. This ensures a continuously high level of cutting and feed quality as well as efficiency. It also offers the option of optimising the process chain for green fodder harvesting, including the improvement of management, from grassland care to harvesting. The lengths of the discharge chutes also increase along with the working width of the headers, as a result of which the chute's vibrations can become problematic in combination with the high delivery rates of 100 to 135 kg/s. In order to stabilise the material flow and reduce transfer losses, the movements of the discharge chute are therefore registered by an angle, load and gyro sensor and eliminated by means of hydraulic damping which is controlled in this way. This increases the service life of these components and simplifies transport logistics, as the cleaning effort required for the transport vehicles is reduced.
The overall concept of the CLAAS Jaguar 1000 forage harvester has the potential to significantly raise performance limits and therefore represents a significant evolution.
Short text
In the Jaguar 1000 forage harvester, CLAAS has refined crucial details of the technology that is familiar so far at key points. On the whole, the overall concept therefore significantly raises the performance limits for forage harvesters.
Product: Intuitu 2.0 Smart Pressure Assistant for Nokian Tyres Soil King VF
Company: NOKIAN HEAVY TYRES Ltd.
Hall/stand: 20 / B05
Selecting the correct tyre pressure for tractors is crucial for preventing soil compaction and increasing traction on the field. During transport work on the road, an adjusted tyre pressure reduces rolling resistance and therefore fuel consumption, reduces tyre wear and thereby extends the service life of the tyres. However, selecting the correct tyre pressure is dependent on a number of factors, including the weight of the vehicle. So far, this has required weighing the tractor together with its implement on a weighbridge.
The Intuitu Smart Pressure Assistant for Soil King VF developed by Nokian Tyres issues a recommendation for the optimum tyre pressure depending on the respective axle load. This uses the latest generation of tyre sensor technology, which can determine the load in just a few minutes while driving. Intuitu factors in the driving speed, vehicle configuration and soil conditions, achieving a load determination accuracy of +/- 5% in 80% of relevant use cases, even at low speeds as of 6 km/h and with high loads. A smartphone app is used to issue a tyre pressure recommendation for use on the road and on the field. The values can then be used for a central tyre pressure control system. If the implement or ballast weight is changed, load determination can be repeated quickly and easily.
The development of the Intuitu Smart Pressure Assistant contributes to simplifying selection of the correct tyre pressure and establishes the technical bases for this. A tyre pressure control system could therefore be continuously automated.
Short text:
The Intuitu Smart Pressure Assistant from Nokian uses the data from tyre sensors in the manufacturer's Soil King VF tyres to determine the axle load during driving and suggests the correct tyre pressure for use on the road and for working on the field. This simplifies working with tyre pressure control systems and establishes a technical basis for their subsequent automation.
The following two innovations have each been awarded a silver medal and share the same underlying concept, which is why they are presented together under a single description.
Product: EasyMatch – fertiliser recognition by means of AI
Company: AMAZONEN-WERKE H. DREYER SE & Co. KG
Hall/stand: 9 / D32
and
Product: FERTIEYE – smartphone image analysis for fertiliser spreader adjustment under field conditions
SKY AGRICULTURE.
Hall/stand: 12 / C39
So far, adjusting fertiliser spreaders has been laborious and often inaccurate. Tables, shaker boxes or laboratory analyses have only provided rough or delayed results – with consequences for yield and the environment. Two practical, smartphone-based solutions are now available in the form of EasyMatch from AMAZONE and FertiEye from SKY Agriculture. The systems use image analysis and AI to accurately determine the characteristics of the fertiliser granules and use these to quickly and automatically derive the appropriate spreader settings without laboratory tests and spreading tests.
The differences lie in implementation: EasyMatch operates with a reference template and uses a simple photograph to create a digital fingerprint with over 250 parameters. The system compares the data with a comprehensive fertiliser database and immediately provides the correct settings for AMAZONE spreaders – even for unknown fertiliser products. Conversely, FertiEye combines a simple sample preparation system with optimised image analysis. It separates individual granules, calibrates the colour and geometry, and uses this data not only to calculate particle sizes, but also the ballistic flight characteristics. This enables the spreading width and quality to be predicted precisely.
Both developments make fertiliser application more accurate, cost-effective and environmentally-friendly.
Short text
Two practical, smartphone-based solutions that use image analysis and AI to determine the characteristics of a mineral fertiliser and derive the appropriate spreader settings are available in the form of EasyMatch from AMAZONE and FertiEye from SKY Agriculture. Both developments make fertiliser application more accurate, cost-effective and environmentally-friendly.
Product: DUXALPHA
Copmany: Arnold NextG GmbH
Hall/stand: 21 / H05
Track guidance systems have long since become firmly established in modern agricultural machinery. Machine management systems now even offer automated tramline planning coordinated to the geometry of the field. However, classic track guidance systems work on the flat, i.e. in 2D, and do not give consideration to elevation profiles or areas of uneven ground. This therefore leads to overlaps or gaps on hilly or uneven terrain and accordingly to resource usage that is far from ideal.
DUXALPHA is the first 3D track guidance system for use in agricultural machinery. The topography of each field is recorded precisely and converted into a digital elevation model. The inclination of the terrain and elevation profiles are automatically taken into consideration during tramline planning. The integrated 3D mapping function marks critical zones such as ditches or depressions and actively warns of hazardous areas. DUXALPHA additionally offers a cross-manufacturer solution for intelligently networking various machines and implements. Machines are synchronised across locations via the cloud link, meaning that multiple vehicles can work in parallel or be navigated to the next fields. This process enables completely networked, precise field processing for existing and new machines, irrespective of the manufacturer. It offers a digital working environment in which all data from crop production, machine operation and management is merged centrally. The system can be retrofitted irrespective of brand. A second GNSS receiver enables precise track guidance even for hauled implements.
DUXALPHA therefore represents a significant and innovative evolution in the field of track guidance systems in the agricultural environment.
Short text
DUXALPHA helps to avoid gaps and overlaps on hilly terrain and thereby supports precise processing. The system therefore offers a basis for autonomously operated machines on slopes.
Illustrations for the innovations available here www.agritechnica.com/en/awards
Media contact
Malene Conlong
+49 69 24788-213
m.conlong@dlg.org
About DLG
With more than 31,000 members, DLG is a politically independent and non-profit organisation. DLG draws on an international network of some 3,000 food and agricultural experts. DLG operates with subsidiaries in 10 countries and also organizes over 30 regional agricultural and livestock exhibitions worldwide. DLG’s leading international exhibitions, EuroTier for livestock farming and Agritechnica for agricultural machinery, which are held every two years in Hanover, Germany, provide international impetus for the local trade fairs. Headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, DLG conducts practical trials and tests to keep its members informed of the latest developments. DLG’s sites include DLG's International Crop Production Centre, a 600-hectare test site in Bernburg-Strenzfeld, Germany and the DLG Test Centre, Europe's largest agricultural machinery test centre for Technology and Farm Inputs, located in Gross-Umstadt, Germany. DLG bridges the gap between theory and practice, as evidenced by more than 40 working groups of farmers, academics, agricultural equipment companies and organisations that continually compare advances in knowledge in specific areas such as irrigation and precision farming.
