Innovation from Ried: The World's First Plot Combine for Seed Breeding

In 1958, Hans Wintersteiger began the development of a combine for seed breeding. Attempts had already been made with small farm-scale combine harvesters, but these failed because too many grains became lodged in the cutting unit, threshing unit, or cleaning mechanism, contaminating the samples.

Hans Wintersteiger first sent the design for a plot combine to various seed breeding companies, offering to build it if he received at least 10 orders. In 1960, he succeeded in developing the first plot combine for seed breeding based on a conventional combine from the Hege company. Wintersteiger thus became the world’s first manufacturer of plot combines.

Gold Medal for Technical Excellence

Approximately 15 PAM 150 models were built each year. It was a narrow combine with a cutting width of 150 cm. At the 1967 Leipzig Spring Fair, F. Walter & H. Wintersteiger KG received the gold medal for the PAM 150S in recognition of its “high scientific and technical” standard; in 1971, the company received the same award for the PAM 125 model.

At that time, the Wintersteiger company received additional orders through Ing. Körber of the Reichersberg seed breeding station, who maintained an extensive international network of partners. For example, he arranged an order for six seeders to be shipped to Australia, which marked the start of the company’s export business.

In 1962, there were 3 employees in the office and 20 on the assembly line.