CLAAS Celebrates 500,000th Combine Milestone with Special Edition

Dec 02, 2024
By Ryan Ridley
Assistant Editor, North American Content, Farms.com

500,000 Combines Worldwide Mark a Significant Achievement

CLAAS recently introduced a special combine to mark the production of its 500,000th combine.

Farms.com connected with Greg Frenzel, product manager at CLAAS, to learn more about this specially wrapped combine.

A large decal displaying “500,000” and “CLAAS” is prominently displayed on the machine. If you look closely you will also see the original CLAAS patent, the knotter, within the CLAAS lettering.

The special edition features a silver metallic finish to pay tribute to the very first combine threshing machine produced by CLAAS, along with metallic green paint like that used on all current machines.

Plans are in place to showcase this special edition combined at various farm shows and demonstrations throughout the upcoming year so keep your eyes peeled for this special unit.

Take a look at the special CLAAS LEXION combine in the below video.

Video: How farmers are protecting the soil and our food security | DW Documentary

For a long time, soil was all but ignored. But for years, the valuable humus layer has been thinning. Farmers in Brandenburg are clearly feeling the effects of this on their sandy fields. Many are now taking steps to prepare their farms for the future.

Years of drought, record rainfall and failed harvests: we are becoming increasingly aware of how sensitively our environment reacts to extreme weather conditions. Farmers' livelihoods are at stake. So is the ability of consumers to afford food.

For a few years now, agriculture that focuses solely on maximum yields has been regarded with increasing skepticism. It is becoming more and more clear just how dependent we are on healthy soils.

Brandenburg is the federal state with the worst soil quality in Germany. The already thin, fertile humus layer has been shrinking for decades. Researchers and farmers who are keen to experiment are combating these developments and looking for solutions. Priority is being given to building up the humus layer, which consists of microorganisms and fungi, as well as springtails, small worms and centipedes.

For Lena and Philipp Adler, two young vegetable farmers, the tiny soil creatures are invaluable helpers. On their three-hectare organic farm, they rely on simple, mechanical weed control, fallow areas where the soil can recover, and diversity. Conventional farmer Mark Dümichen also does everything he can to protect soil life on his land. For years, he has not tilled the soil after the harvest and sows directly into the field. His yields have stabilized since he began to work this way.

Isabella Krause from Regionalwert AG Berlin-Brandenburg is convinced after the experiences of the last hot summers that new crops will thrive on Brandenburg's fields in the long term. She has founded a network of farmers who are promoting the cultivation of chickpeas with support from the scientific community.