An extractor is disclosed for a sugarcane harvester that chops stalks of sugarcane into billets. The extractor comprises a housing, a fan positioned within the housing and comprising fan blades mounted for rotation in a rotational path about an axis of rotation to induce a flow of air to extract leaf material from billets produced by the sugarcane harvester, and a leaf shredder positioned within the housing and comprising shredding knives fixed against rotation about the axis of rotation, the shredding knives offset axially from the fan blades relative to the axis of rotation in proximity to the rotational path of the fan blades such that the fan blades and the shredding knives cooperate to shred leaf material by shearing action as the fan blades rotate past the shredding knives about the axis of rotation.

Corn header (4) for a forage harvester (1) for harvesting stalk crops, having a plurality of mowing and infeed units (5), which each have a plurality of drum-like or chain-like mowing and infeed members (6), which are rotatable about a vertical axis and are drivable in a revolving manner, for severing the crop in a substantially horizontal direction from a field to be cultivated, wherein the mowing and infeed members (6) of a pair (11) of mowing and infeed units (5) arranged in the center between two sides (4a, 4b) of the corn header (4) are drivable in a revolving manner such that they have a tendency to convey crop out of a gap (12), which is formed between them, forwards away from an infeed (9) of the forage harvester (1), wherein a central separating member (13) for separating the crop is positioned in a substantially vertical direction in the region of the gap (12) between the mowing and infeed members (6) of the pair (11) of mowing and infeed units (5) arranged in the center of the corn header (4).

Systems, methods and apparatus for the thermal conversion of biomass into biochar. A mobile platform may be used to maneuver a mobile biochar generation system within a field of biomass. The biomass may be harvested, preprocessed and pyrolyzed. After pyrolyzation, the biochar may be cooled to a predetermined temperature by integrating water and liquid nutrients into the biochar. The system may then control the application of the infused biochar by adjusting a spreading attachment and a plowing attachment.

Systems, methods and apparatus for the thermal conversion of biomass into biochar. A mobile platform may be used to maneuver a mobile biochar generation system within a field of biomass. The biomass may be harvested, preprocessed and pyrolyzed. After pyrolyzation, the biochar may be cooled to a predetermined temperature by integrating water and liquid nutrients into the biochar. The system may then control the application of the infused biochar by adjusting a spreading attachment and a plowing attachment.

A residue chopper comprising a housing forming a cutting chamber, a shaft, knives extending from the shaft, a counterknife support, a counterknife, and a fin. The counterknife and fin are attached to the counterknife support, with the fin behind the counterknife. the fin has a blunt side facing against the operating direction. The counterknife support is movable between a first position in which the counterknife extends a minimum predetermined distance into the cutting chamber and the fin is not within the cutting chamber, a second position in which the counterknife extends an intermediate predetermined distance into the cutting chamber and within the cutting volume and the fin is not within the cutting chamber, and a third position in which the counterknife extends a maximum predetermined distance into the cutting chamber and into the cutting volume and the fin extends into the cutting chamber.

Chopping blade (10), having a basic body (11), which has a fastening portion (12) for fastening said chopping blade to a chopping drum and a cutting portion (13) which is angled in relation to the fastening portion, and having a crop-guiding element (15) which is fastened to the fastening portion (12) and is intended for guiding chopped harvested crop, wherein a guide surface (16) of the crop-guiding element (15) has a curved contour. A distance (a) between the beginning of the guide surface (16) of the crop-guiding element (15) and a transition edge (14) between the fastening portion (12) and the cutting portion (13) of the basic body (11) is between 4 mm and 8 mm. The guide surface (16) runs rectilinearly in a first portion (18) with a length (b) between 4 mm and 8 mm, wherein said first portion (18) encloses an angle (α) between 18° and 22° with the fastening portion (12). The first portion (18) merges into a concavely curved second portion (19), the radius of curvature (Rx) of which is between 21 mm and 25 mm and which has a wrap angle (β) between 29° and 33°. The second portion merges into a concavely curved third portion (20), the radius of curvature (Ry) of which is between 18 mm and 22 mm and which has a wrap angle (γ) between 24° and 28°. The third portion merges into a convexly curved fourth portion (21). A maximum height of the crop-guiding element is between 24 mm and 30 mm.

Chopping blade (10), having a basic body (11), which has a fastening portion (12) for fastening said chopping blade to a chopping drum and a cutting portion (13) which is angled in relation to the fastening portion, and having a crop-guiding element (15) which is fastened to the fastening portion (12) and is intended for guiding chopped harvested crop, wherein a guide surface (16) of the crop-guiding element (15) has a curved contour. A distance (a) between the beginning of the guide surface (16) of the crop-guiding element (15) and a transition edge (14) between the fastening portion (12) and the cutting portion (13) of the basic body (11) is between 4 mm and 8 mm. The guide surface (16) runs rectilinearly in a first portion (18) with a length (b) between 4 mm and 8 mm, wherein said first portion (18) encloses an angle (α) between 18° and 22° with the fastening portion (12). The first portion (18) merges into a concavely curved second portion (19), the radius of curvature (Rx) of which is between 21 mm and 25 mm and which has a wrap angle (β) between 29° and 33°. The second portion merges into a concavely curved third portion (20), the radius of curvature (Ry) of which is between 18 mm and 22 mm and which has a wrap angle (γ) between 24° and 28°. The third portion merges into a convexly curved fourth portion (21). A maximum height of the crop-guiding element is between 24 mm and 30 mm.

Crop is routed past a sample window on an agricultural combine harvester. Light it is impinged on the crop from an illumination source and reflected radiation is directed to a sensor. The output of the sensor is indicative of various constituents in the harvested crop. The illumination source is controlled based on the temperature proximate the crop sample.

An image capture device captures an image of crop after it has been processed by a kernel processing unit on a forage harvester. A size distribution indicative of the distribution of kernel fragment sizes in the harvested crop is identified from the image captured by the image capture device. A control system generates control signals to control a speed differential in the speed of rotation of kernel processing rollers based on the size distribution. Control signals can also be generated to control a size of a gap between the kernel processing rollers.

A corn harvesting header (24) includes a powered row unit (38) and a gathering hood (98). The row unit (38) defines a longitudinal crop row path that extends in a generally rearward crop travel direction and receives a corn row as the header (24) is advanced along the corn row. The gathering hood (98) partly overlies the row unit (38) and includes a laterally extending dam (132) that restricts corn from moving forwardly. The dam (132) at least partly defines a gutter to receive corn kernels and direct the corn kernels rearwardly.