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trailer world issue one 2015

    Issue One 2015  29 efore potatoes can be bought in the supermarket or served as crispy chips in a restaurant, they have already travelled a long way. And each part of their journey poses dangers which may diminish their quality: The tubers could be damaged if they fall onto the ground or bump against something. Clods of earth or stones brought in with the harvest may damage the peel, and too high a temperature during stor- age can also cause quality to decrease. And when the already processed potatoes are being transported as frozen food, the cool chain must, of course, not be interrupted. Needs careful handling The Grimme Group has a customised solu- tion for every step of the agricultural process chain. The machinery coming from Damme in the Oldenburger Münsterland accompa- nies the potato from seeding to harvest and storage. And it does so with the attention that the plant rich in carbohydrates and vita- mins requires. "Potatoes need to be handled really carefully – they are much more sensi- tive than wheat or many kinds of vegetables," Jürgen Feld, Grimme's Marketing Manager, explains. Any mechanical stress could dam- age the potatoes and reduce the yield. "This means that quality assurance is priority number one when harvesting table potatoes. It is more important than other factors like speed. At the same time, farmers expect us to deliver machinery that is absolutely reliable during the short season." Such a business requires experience. The Grimme Group has come to know the par- ticularities of the moody tuber over seven decades. It is this kind of competitive edge in knowledge and know-how which has made the company a popular partner of the global agricultural industry. Grimme traces back its roots to the 1930s, during which it devel- oped the first potato harvester – still pulled by horses. Even back then, the company had a knack for marketing: "Uner­reicht" (Un- rivalled) was the name of the first produc- tion series, a storage basket, which already reached four-digit production figures. Po- tato harvesters pulled by tractors followed in 1956. The first hydraulic functions then started a technological revolution, which culminated in 1966's harvesting unit Europa Standard. "Whilst at that time, it was the hy- draulics which allowed easy handling and better efficiency, the new pioneer work is in electronics," Feld explains. Harvest helpers on the smartphone Current potato harvesters are highly com- plex machinery, literally stuffed with elec- tronic systems and microchips – and rare- ly usable without comprehensive product training. Grimme has its own academy at which it trains employees in correctly op- erating the machines. Nowadays, even the smartphone assists during potato harvest: After downloading the free app Grim- meTools, the user can determine tramlines, seed quantity, yield, and range, as well as harvesting performance. The table potato wants to be handled with care. It poses special challenges to planters and harvesters. Photos:iStock-PicturePartners,GrimmeLandmaschinenfabrik B

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