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The Claas Lexion 700 combine harvester.
The Claas Lexion 700 combine harvester has won 2016 Machine of the Year at the biennial European trade fair Agritechnica.
The title is awarded each year by a panel of 19 technical journalists from eight European countries, alternately at the German event and SIMA in France.
The jury made special mention of the many technical innovations in the Lexion 700 series, such as the 4D cleaning and automatic crop flow monitoring, both recognised with a DLG Silver Medal.
4D cleaning enables efficient harvesting on uneven terrain, providing a continuous airstream over the return pans, preparation floors and sieve – consisting of slope-dependent rotor cover plates and an automatic blower. A third pair of rotor cover plates automatically open or close depending on the lateral and longitudinal angle of the machine, while the blower speed is automatically adjusted to operating conditions.
Claas has also introduced an automatic crop flow control that monitors the rotation speeds of the engine, the APS threshing mechanism and the Roto Plus residual grain separation system. The feeder, threshing, separation and grain tank discharge systems are automatically shut down if critical load peaks are detected.
Other improvements include the company's award-winning Cemos system which automatically optimises harvesting operations for maximum throughout, grain quality or fuel efficiency to suit prevailing conditions.
Initially available for wheat, barley and canola, the system can now be used in maize and soybeans and controlled directly via the CEBIS operating system rather than a separate terminal.
Following the €1.6 million investment in a prototype workshop in early 2025, Claas has invested an additional €3.3 million at its Metz-Woippy baler production plant to increase production capacity.
After its flagship 1200 model set a Guiness World Record in forage harvesting, mopping up 4096 tonnes of whole crop silage in 12 hours, Claas has picked up a brace of awards from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineering (ASABE).
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Last month's Agritechnica event led to a wide group of manufacturers celebrating successes when the 2026 Tractor of the Year Competition winners, selected by a panel of European journalists, were announced in Hanover Germany.
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The winners of the 2026 Hawke’s Bay/Wairarapa Dairy Industry Awards were announced at the annual awards dinner held at Copthorne Solway Park in Masterton on Thursday evening.
Environment Southland is welcoming this week’s decision by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to approve the release of Blaptea elguetai, a leaf‑feeding beetle that will help control the highly invasive Chilean flame creeper.
This March, the potato industry is proudly celebrating International Women’s Day on 8 March alongside the International Year of the Woman Farmer, recognising the vital role women play across every part of the sector — from paddocks and packhouses to research, leadership, and innovation.
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