The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) has announced this year's AE50 Awards. The annual AE50 prizes recognize 50 product innovations in the areas of agricultural, food and biological systems. AE50 winners include machines, systems, components, software and services ranked highest in innovation, significant engineering advancement and impact for the markets they serve.
Founded in 1907, ASABE comprises members in more than 100 countries working in areas such as food, fiber, timber and renewable energy sources.
Here are the winners from AGCO, Case IH, New Holland and CLAAS.
AGCO CORPORATION
AGCO Corporation won five 2025 AE50 awards. They include:
-- Fendt (AGCO) Momentum 30-Foot Planter. The Fendt Momentum 30-foot planter brings advanced planting benefits to smaller farms, with 100-bushel seed capacity and 800-gallon liquid fertilizer capacity. Factory-installed Precision Planting options include Conceal fertilizer openers and EMHD for accurate liquid control. The Load Logic system and high flexion tires reduce compaction.
-- Fendt (AGCO) ErgoSteer Retrofittable Steering Joystick. Fendt ErgoSteer is a retrofittable steering joystick for Fendt 500 to 1000 series tractors. Operated with the left hand from the seat's armrest, ErgoSteer allows tractor control with minimal movement from the driver. ErgoSteer offers adjustable steering sensitivity and a return-to-center function for straight driving.
-- AGCO Parts Application Lift System. The lift system allows operators to lift and exchange application systems (usually dry to/from liquid) at their own locations.
-- Precision Planting (AGCO) ReconBlockage Sensor. Precision Planting's ReconBlockage prevents skips and yield loss when seeding and fertilizing by using acoustic sensors to detect flow variance by section, alerting operators of blocked runs. ReconBlockage sensors work like stethoscopes, interpreting sounds and alerting operators via a wireless app to buildup issues.
-- PTx Trimble (AGCO) OutRun Autonomous Grain Cart Solution. OutRun is an autonomous solution that allows tractors to pull grain carts without drivers during harvest. OutRun's interface allows operators to position grain carts around fields and autonomously match speed and distance with combines for on-the-go unloading and unloading in designated zones. The solution avoids unharvested land and uses previously traveled paths to minimize soil compaction. OutRun operates using its own communication system for reliable operation regardless of cellular coverage.
CASE IH, NEW HOLLAND
CNH's Case IH and New Holland brands have won 10 2025 AE50 awards. They include:
-- Case-IH (CNH) Axial-Flow 260 series. 260 series combines maximize production and grain handling with single-rotor Case IH harvesting technology.
-- Case IH AF 9, 10, 11 combine. This combine series has been redesigned from the ground up to maximize capacity and crop flow, with simplified maintenance and connectivity as standard.
-- The C500 series corn head. C500 corn heads were created to pair with the AF and 260 series combines.
-- Large Square Baler Automation. Case IH automation controls automatically adjust tractor speed and steering to match windrow volume to maximize throughput.
-- Quadtrac Heavy-Duty Suspension. Case IH suspension brings greater productivity by facilitating faster transport speeds of up to 26.5 mph with a smoother ride thanks to the fully suspended track system, which closely follows ground contours.
-- Model Year 2025 Magnum. Case IH Magnum tractors with 21x5 PowerDrive transmissions and Automatic Productivity Management 2, which manages the driveline and engine to control ground speed while optimizing fuel economy and preventing engine stalls.
-- Modular Tramline System. For the Early Riser 2160 48-row 20-inch large front-fold planter, this Case IH system offers industry-leading 20-inch planter tramline compatibility, productivity and performance.
-- IntelliSense Bale Automation. This New Holland system uses technology that integrates SmartSteer swath guidance to keep the baler in the middle of the windrow, together with IntelliCruise II speed control which uses LiDAR (light detection and ranging) technology to adjust the balers forward speed in real-time. This ensures the baler is always full.
-- CropSpeed Monitoring System. Featured in the FR Forage Cruiser series of self-propelled forage harvesters, New Holland's CropSpeed increases productivity using radar technology to detect the speed of crop, and if it detects a potential spout blockage, the operator receives a warning to reduce forward speed.
-- UltraFeed Pickup Head. The pickup head from New Holland also is designed to enhance the performance of the FR Forage Cruiser. Its 13-foot working width allows the UltraFeed Pickup to handle larger windrows and improve crop flow through the harvester.
CLAAS
CLAAS earned three AE50 Awards. They include:
-- Lexion 8900 Terra Trac. The top model in the Lexion lineup delivers 779 max horsepower from its 16.2L MAN engine with Dynamic Power -- an increase of 89 hp over the Lexion 8800 model. Coupled with the CLAAS-exclusive CEMOS Automatic combine automation system, the Lexion 8900 Terra Trac makes autonomous and automatic real-time in-field adjustments.
-- Jaguar Earlage Adapter. CLAAS designed and manufactured the Earlage Adapter to integrate a combine-style multi-coupler to the harvester to utilize auto contour and autopilot functionalities. The adapter helps increase capacity, reduce overthrow, and provide greater wear resistance.
-- Jaguar V-Flex Drum. The V-Flex Drum is a flexible cutting cylinder with a three-bolt knife design, 10-degree knife angles and 21% more wear protection coating for a longer service life. A wide range of cutting lengths (36, 28, 24 and 20) can fit the same base drum. In addition, the new design lowers cab noise by 4 decibels A (dBA).
Dan Miller can be reached at dan.miller@dtn.com
Follow him on social platform X @DMillerPF
(c) Copyright 2025 DTN, LLC. All rights reserved.