Method for distributing a material flow onto a field, and chopping and spreading device

In a method and device for spreading a material flow onto a field, the material flow emerging from a chopping mechanism of a chopping and spreading device, in particular a combine mounted straw chopper on a combine harvester, is conveyed to at least one guide element which is situated transversely to the longitudinal axis of the chopping mechanism, the guide element accelerates the material flow and conveys it to at least one downstream spreading unit, the material flow emerging from the at least one guide element is conveyed by a plane of conveyance, in which the material flow enters the at least one guide element, onto a spreading plane situated below the plane of conveyance; in the spreading plane, and the material flow is distributed by the at least one spreading unit onto the field.