Soil preservation has become a major challenge as far as ensuring farm continuity and profitability is concerned.
Every farmer knows the extent to which soil fertility has a direct impact on yields, by facilitating root development and allowing a better absorption of water, fertiliser and essential nutrients. Yet with each pass of the tractor, compaction threatens the natural soil porosity, thus compromising future productivity.
Faced with this challenge, there is an optimal solution, tried and tested by experts and recommended by manufacturers: the use of VF VT-TRACTOR tyres together with a central tyre inflation system (CTIS). This technological combination allows you to adjust tyre pressure precisely and instantaneously based on the load and type of soil encountered. The result is a significant reduction in compaction, substantial fuel and time saved, and above all, a lasting preservation of the soil structure.
In this article, discover how to make the most of this ideal agricultural tyre configuration to combine maximum yields and exceptional durability.
Soil fertility is the key to the success of your crops. It has a direct influence on yields and, in the long term, on the viability of your farm.
As such, you must take into account the essential role of the structure and porosity of your soil. This concerns the empty spaces between the particles of earth. These tiny “lungs” allow water, air and inputs to circulate in the soil, ensuring that the roots are well nourished and nutrients spread efficiently.
It is also thanks to this porosity that the roots can seek out water deep down during dry periods, leading to crop resilience.
When faced with deep soil compaction, this precious porosity disappears. The soil becomes dense, air and water become rarer and your fertiliser remains on the surface, unable to reach the roots.
The consequences are direct:
Faced with severe compaction, soil aeration work becomes indispensable, leading to extra costs and loss of time, which will affect your profitability.
Several factors can aggravate compaction.
Overloaded trailers, for example, can lead to deep soil compaction, especially in wet conditions.
for example, can lead to deep soil compaction, especially in wet conditions. which is often due to deliberate overinflation of the tyres to obtain an intermediary pressure for mixed use between road and fields.
Lastly, working on wet ground makes your soil particularly vulnerable to compaction. It is always preferable to wait till the soil has dried out and stabilised before you start work.
By keeping control over compaction, you can preserve the vitality of your soil and reap many benefits. Essentially, non-compacted soil:
In addition, soil drainage and aeration is optimised and your inputs are therefore more effective. In the end, well-preserved soil ensures stable and lasting yields, thus building the future of your farm.
For farmers and tractor owners who are looking to optimise their work rate while protecting the quality of their soil, VF (Very High Flexion) technology represents a major innovation.
Unlike standard tyres, VF tyres, such as Bridgestone’s VT-Tractor tyre, have supple sidewalls and a reinforced structure.
This ingenious design means that they can carry up to 40% more load while maintaining an optimal inflation pressure of as little as 0.6 bar.
One of the main advantages of VF tyres is their capacity to work at low pressure and as such spread the weight of your tractor and implements more evenly over a longer and larger contact area. This optimised weight distribution considerably limits the effects of soil compaction.
By opting for VF tyres, you encourage an environment that is conducive to soil prosperity. A reduction in soil compaction brings with it many benefits:
On top of protecting your soil, the use of VF tyres generates real savings.
Less compaction means a decrease in soil aeration work, which necessitates time and fuel.
In addition, a better soil footprint and optimised traction lead to a reduction in slip, which limits fuel consumption and extends the wear life of your tyres.
Good control of slip guarantees a faster work rate and better efficiency in your fields.
Central inflation systems modify the way you work by offering you the possibility of adjusting tyre pressure in real time, directly from the tractor cab.
This allows you to maximise the efficiency of your equipment and protect your soil on a long-term basis. No need to waste time inflating or deflating manually any more; in a few minutes you can adapt pressure to every situation, whether in the fields or on the road.
This technology contributes directly to the health and productivity of your land:
Investing in a central tyre inflation system can rapidly turn out to be profitable, especially for large farms with several machines:
Having a central inflation system gives you a considerable advantage, allowing you to really protect your soil. This can lead to a 5 to 10% improvement in your yields during a normal year, and even 20 to 30% in wet conditions.
This investment, while considerable, pays off after a few years and leads to real, visible savings as of the first year of use, which makes you more competitive.
For optimal efficiency and soil preservation, the association of Brigestone’s VF VT-TRACTOR tyre with a CTIS is the ideal solution.
This combination brings together the best in tyre technology and the flexibility of pressure adjustments in real time, which offers incomparable performance levels for your farm.
Bridgestone’s VT-TRACTOR tyre has been specially designed to protect your yields. Its key advantages include:
Bridgestone tests confirm that the VT-TRACTOR tyre offers a lug contact area that is up to 26% bigger than its competitors.
This characteristic leads to considerable time saving (more than one hectare more covered per day), given that fuel savings can reach up to 36 litres for 50 hectares.
The results of this configuration are clearly visible and advantageous:
The combination of VF VT-TRACTOR tyres and a CTIS represent the most efficient solution possible for precision farming.
Not only does it allow optimal soil preservation, it also leads to substantial fuel and time saving, as well as extending the life of your equipment.
Adopting these technologies is a choice that guarantees the profitability and perennity of your farm for years to come.
The bridgestone-agriculture.eu blog is written and administered by tractor tyre experts who can provide you with advice to help you achieve optimum productivity (Technical data on agricultural tyres - Agricultural tyre performance - Advice on agricultural tyre pressure - Soil compaction prevention - Sprayer tyre pressure - etc.)
To take it a step further and increase your farm’s profitability, the blog Bridgestone-agriculture.eu has prepared a free, highly detailed ebook which explains the essential role of the agricultural tyre on your productivity.
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