The significance of agricultural research is seeing rapid growth. Players across this sector are working tirelessly to find new ways to increase crop yields, improve farmland productivity, reduce loss due to disease and insects, and increase overall food quality. This is a difficult feat, given there is no standardized breeding process. It varies depending on the region, type of soil and crops, and breeding targets. There is a push toward more sustainable methods for breeding to reduce carbon footprints and combat the challenges of soil erosion and the global increase in population.
This is where Wintersteiger steps in with its turnkey solutions for plant breeding and research. A leader in field research equipment, Wintersteiger has set itself at the top of a niche market that covers the entire cycle of field research, from sowing to harvesting.
Wintersteiger’s one-stop shop concept provides customers with an edge by offering complete solutions for the sowing and seed cultivation process, via a single portal. Its product range includes plot and multiplication combines, plot forage and silage harvesters, plot seeders and planters, software solutions for data management and note taking, fertilization and crop protection equipment, and laboratory equipment.
“It doesn't matter if its wheat, barley, rice, corn or soybeans, we have the right configuration of software and machines to address all crop breeding challenges and satisfy any customer need,” says Christopher Schiehauer, general manager division Seedmech, Wintersteiger.
Customization is the Key
Wintersteiger’s suite of solutions is perfectly designed to meet the needs of its global customer base that functions under varying conditions.
“Conditions are not the same in every region.
We make sure that our products are able to adapt globally to the different soil & weather conditions - but also to our users individual trial requirements , to provide comparable data from plot to plot without requiring them to travel for miles,” says Schiehauer.
Wintersteiger also focuses on users’ machine usage requirements and budget-constraints. Deep collaborations are not only essential to create dialogues and qualitative information exchanges, but also brings a much more effective progression throughout the industry, through targeted global mechanization. Being part of the Success- Story „Seed Breeding“ & providing the necessary technology is what drives Wintersteiger to adjust the pricing and configurations based on regions.
Increasing Yield with Effective Data Management
Wintersteiger’s customized solution suite incorporates cutting-edge data management software offerings. Easy Plant, for instance, is a field planning software that defines the number of plots and seeding methods to develop accurate field maps months before planting. This software gives field data with GPS positions of the Wintersteiger seeder and is offered as an integrated solution for complete value chain management. Another offering is Easy Harvest, which integrates with a mobile harvesting data system, enabling high precision in weighing and moisture-measuring crops.
All the data collected through Wintersteiger’s software can be stored on physical hard drives and cloud systems. Through its SaaS-based storage capabilities, it provides interfaces that make it easier for farmers to access their harvesting data in real-time.
Wintersteiger also helps clients run analytics on various farm datasets through Easy Breed. The software develops field trial statistics and reports to assist breeders in making informed decisions on the seeds ready for market and those that need further development.
Conditions are not the same in every region. We make sure that our products are able to adapt globally to the different soil & weather conditions - but also to our users individual trial requirements
Wintersteiger’s software portfolio has dedicated, open architecture-driven interfaces that render them vendor-agnostic and facilitate seamless integration with equipment from disparate brands. For instance, key clients like Syngenta—a provider of agricultural science and technology, particularly seeds and pesticides—are developing their software programs that integrate with Wintersteiger’s machines and software to enable robust, flexible, and end-to-end seed breeding and harvesting solutions. These solutions are highly flexible, allowing users to employ them for multiple crops.
Wintersteiger’s one-stop shop also includes a wide range of plot combine machinery under the Quantum product family; Quantum Core, Quantum Plus, and Quantum Pro combines. These combine harvesters offer a full range of scalability and are fully modular and customizable, based on customer needs. Wintersteiger also offers different add-ons like weighing systems, software packages, and performance packages with highly competitive pricing to perfectly align with ever-changing client requirements and budgets. Wintersteiger’s mission is to bridge the overlap between breeding, seed production, and multiplication with its end-to-end solutions.
“We focus on a niche market; breeding. Our goal is to offer the best-in-class solutions that are scalable and can adapt to any use case,” says Schiehauer.
Staying a Step Ahead of Others
Wintersteiger invests more than 8 percent of its turnover in research and development. Consistent development has made it possible to secure lasting success for customers.
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Doesn't matter if it’s wheat, barley, rice, corn, or soybeans, we have the right configuration of software and machines to address all crop breeding challenges and satisfy any customer need
Wintersteiger constantly remains in contact with leading universities and research institutes across the globe. The results of this close cooperation flow into the development of its products. Many of these are patents, which are a mirrored image of its outstanding engineering achievements. Wintersteiger also gives persistent consideration to customers' ideas when developing new products.
Wintersteiger believes precision and top-class performances are nothing without maximum reliability. This is why Wintersteiger, a world market leader, sets the standards in quality assurance, from research and development and through production and documentation, to spare parts.
An application specialist, Wintersteiger’s process expertise and proactive services along the entire value chain revolutionize how agronomists develop and bring their products to market. Today, Wintersteiger leads the globe and has carved itself a dominant position in a sector that will only grow in importance in the future.
