Big stubble, no trouble

CLAAS has released the world’s first corn picker with an integrated stubble buster for one-pass harvesting and mulching.

CLAAS Harvest Centre General Manager – Product, Tim Needham, says the new unit allows faster decomposition of corn stubble and helps to break the lifecycle of fungal diseases and insect pests.

Developed for CLAAS’ CORIO four, five, six and eight-row corn pickers, STUBBLE CRACKER has one rotating plate per row, each equipped with two specially-developed mallets. “The mallets crush and splice any stubble below the first internode,” Tim says. “Their special coating and design ensures long service intervals and easy maintenance.”

The unit is attached to the frame of the harvester via a three-point linkage for three-dimensional ground tracking. The skid plate ensures a constant distance between the flails and the ground in all operating conditions, optimising performance and reducing wear. The mechanically-driven rotors operate at a speed of 1,200 rpm. “The operator receives an error message in CEBIS if the rotor speed decreases,” Tim says. “Two hydraulic rams automatically lift the rotors if there is a risk of overloading or if they come into contact with obstacles, while a ratchet clutch protects the gears. In addition, the cracker unit is raised automatically when reversing or raising the picker.”

The STUBBLE CRACKER increases the weight of the eight-row CORIO 875 FC by about 400 kg and requires an extra 32 hp of power. “This means fuel consumption increases about 2 L/ha but this is more than offset by eliminating the need for a second pass with a rotary cutter, knife roller or tillage. Independent studies have demonstrated fuel savings of 30 percent and a 50 percent reduction in labour compared to performing an additional mulching operation.”