Innovative Twin-Plot Combine Improves Stine’s Harvest of Research Crops

Stine knows how crucial technology is to advancing agriculture. Our industry-leading corn and soybean breeding programs are a great testament to how we use a variety of technological tools to advance the industry’s leading corn and soybean products. Part of the reason our breeding programs are so successful is their size and the results we collect from them. We planted 1.3 million soybean plots and 420,000 corn plots alone this year. The data collected from these research plots ensure that we’re doing what we can to develop better corn and soybean feed, faster. Fortunately, our friends (and innovators) at ALMACO have shared their latest technology to help us out with harvest.

The ALMACO R2 Twin-Plot combine lends itself to seed research programs with more than one crop. The machine operates with top-fed axial rotor technology that allows for a true split, twin-rotor. The combine features interchangeable rotor parts that can be swapped out in less than 15 minutes. This make harvest faster, and the twin top-fed axial rotors harvest research plots cleaner and gentler than other research combines and can be used for corn, soybeans, small grains and flowers.

In 2018, Stine had exclusive access to the innovative new machinery, and we noticed the efficiencies. We harvested 75,000 plots in 15 days during the first trial run. Previously, we used separate combines for our corn and soybean plots. Now, we’ve been using the ALMACO R2 combine for both, and we’re saving serious time by harvesting plots nearly 2.5 times faster than our other equipment. Another advantage: we can harvest our soybean plots sooner, even when the pods have a higher moisture level than when we’d typically harvest. The combine’s rotary threshing and high-torque design allows for earlier harvest of large green plants, tough stems and high plant foliage.

This year, we added one more ALMACO R2 combine to our fleet. We’re happy to partner with like-minded companies who use innovative technologies to improve agricultural processes. We’re proud to implement these practices to gather better data, create the best seed on the market and deliver our growers the highest-yielding corn and soybeans available. You can learn more about the ALMACO R2 combine here.