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The world record maize harvest in action.
A US family-owned farming operation has set not one, but two new Guinness World Records by harvesting 1111 tonnes of maize in eight hours and then 1620 tonnes in 12 hours.
They used a Claas Lexion 760 Terra Trac combine harvester equipped with a 16-row corn front.
In doing so, the team at Stewart Farms Partnership, Yorkville, Illinois, easily cruised past the 1300 tonne, 10-hour record they set eight years ago.
The feat represents a throughput of almost 135 tonnes per hour or one truckload every 12 minutes.
Harvesting commenced at 9am in less-than-ideal conditions, with 12mm of rain having fallen the previous day. The grain bin was emptied at precisely eight, 10 and 12 hours after the work started.
The 1379 tonnes recorded at the 10-hour mark represents a 6% improvement on the 2010 record, which was attributed to ongoing improvements to the Lexion.
Compared to its 2010 counterpart, today’s Lexion 760 has much higher power, a more efficient cooling system, a larger grain tank and several operator assistance systems.
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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The recently released Claas Jaguar 1000 Series has seen its flagship 1200 set a new official Guiness World Record in forage harvesting, harvesting 4096 tonnes of whole crop silage in 12 hours, alongside an efficiency record of just 0.49 litres of fuel consumption per tonne of silage harvested.
Innovation awards at international agricultural events are always on the wishlist of manufacturers.
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