Abstract: A harvester thresher or combine has a picking slot through which grain stalks are pulled to separate the stalks from the grain heads. Two oppositely rotated, parallel shafts are located at opposite sides of the picking slot. Each shaft has at least one cutting disk in close cutting relationship with the cutting disk of the other shaft. A vaned crusher element is mounted adjacent to each cutting disk and has its radial vanes arranged for intermeshing with the vanes of the element on the other shaft. The tips of the vanes project outward farther than the periphery of the adjacent cutting disk for assisting in pulling the stalks through the picking slot for chopping and crushing by the cutting disks and crushing elements.