Difficult weather conditions are only to be expected for many farmers. Abundant rain, waterlogged soil and muddy land make working in the fields quite tricky. You have most likely already experienced these frustrating situations: incessant slippage which slows down your work rate, fuel consumption on the rise, or even ruts and soil compaction which compromise future harvests.
These issues, far from anecdotic, can lead to major losses, both in terms of yields and in terms of profitability. However, each type of soil is unique and each climate zone requires a specific solution. So how do you choose the right tyres to cope with difficult conditions while protecting your soil? How can you maximise the efficiency of your machines?
This article looks into tyre solutions and technologies that are suitable for soft, wet ground in order to protect productivity and soil quality. Think about giving your farm the most suitable equipment, which it needs to prosper, even when faced with bad weather.
1. Understanding the problems of wet soil for agricultural tyres
Choosing the right tyre for your tractor is vital for coping with the specificities of wet soil. A good understanding of the stakes will help you implement agricultural practices that are better suited to your weather conditions and more soil friendly.
Soil instability and traction problems
The softness, stickiness and instability of wet soil makes it especially difficult to work on. The tyres’ traction capacity is effectively considerably reduced, with agricultural machinery likely to slip, sink into the ground and create ruts.
These difficulties during work lead to a considerable loss of time and a loss of efficiency during agricultural campaigns.
Soil compaction in wet conditions
Frequent agricultural machine traffic over waterlogged land causes severe compaction at the level of every soil horizon, significantly reducing the soil’s absorption capacity and porosity.
This compaction limits the infiltration of water and the correct aeration and development of the root system. These problems end up causing damage to the soil structure, diminishing soil fertility and agricultural yields in the long run.
Excess fuel consumption
Working on wet soil leads to excess fuel consumption and an increase in rolling resistance.
As the tyres sink into the ground, the extra amount of slip requires more power from the engine, which results in more fuel being used up.
The multiplication of manoeuvres required to get out of the mud or to avoid getting stuck only add to the problem. As a result, additional costs are inevitable which results in a decrease in farm profitability.
2. How can you protect the structure and fertility of the soil with suitable tyres?
Limit compaction to protect the structure of the soil
VF technology low-pressure tyres are designed to reduce soil compaction thanks to their longer, wider soil footprint.
This high-tech equipment brings with it many benefits:
- Optimal weight distribution: the contact patch with the ground is bigger, which reduces the pressure exerted at every level.
- Improvement of soil health: by limiting compaction, these tyres do not block root development but encourage a better circulation of water, nutrients and biological life within the soil.
- Optimisation of yields: healthy soil results in more stable, higher yields on a long-term basis.
Reduction in costs linked to avoiding soil compaction
We all know that soil aeration work is costly and time consuming.
By using tyres that are more suited to bad weather conditions, you will be able to limit compaction, leading to:
- Fuel savings: Decompaction work involves tilling the entire field. Avoiding this means less fuel costs.
- Reduced tyre wear: During soil aeration work you will need to work with implements that penetrate deep into the soil, requiring a lot of torque, which leads to considerable tyre wear.
- An improvement in productivity: well structured, aerated soil which is not compacted allows your machines to work more efficiently, reducing working time on each agricultural campaign.
Decompaction work does not always make it possible to restore the soil structure entirely. This is why preventing compaction is a more economical solution than trying to repair the soil structure.
3. Practical advice to optimise the use of agricultural tyres in wet conditions
Adjusting inflation pressure depending on the load and weather conditions
Good tyre pressure management is a great way of optimising tractor performance and protecting your soil, in particular in wet conditions.
Precise pressure adjustments can help improve grip, reduce slip and limit soil compaction.
Why is it important to adjust pressure?
An overinflated tyre sinks deeper into the ground, and will tend to compact and damage the soil structure. It will grip less and is likely to slip more.
Increased rolling resistance inevitably leads to a loss of time and more fuel needed, resulting in a loss of productivity.
Which pressure settings should you opt for during wet weather?
You should always consult your tyre manufacturer recommendations first, but in general it is advisable to:
- Reduce pressure: this will increase the tyre’s contact patch with the ground and reduce the risk of compaction thanks to a better load distribution on soft ground.
- Adapt pressure based on the type of soil: waterlogged clay soils are very sensitive to compaction and slippage. They require lower pressure than sandy soils which drain much better.
- Take the load into account: the weight borne by the tyres has a major influence on the optimal working pressure. The advantage of VT tyres is that they can carry heavy loads without requiring a higher inflation pressure. This is an excellent option when working on excessively wet ground.
The importance of central tyre inflation systems for real-time pressure adjustments
Central tyre inflation systems are designed to allow you to adjust pressure settings directly from the tractor cab.
The advantages are multiple:
- Precise, rapid adjustments: you can adapt the inflation pressure based on the weather conditions and the state of the soil in real time.
- Fuel savings: optimal precision allows the tyre to say on the surface, reduces rolling resistance and therefore reduces your fuel consumption.
- Soil preservation: precise pressure settings limit soil compaction, especially in wet conditions.
of the best solutions for working in wet conditions
4. The importance of choosing low-pressure tyres
Low-pressure tyres such as the VT-TRACTOR tyre are particularly recommended for agricultural labours in wet or bad weather conditions.
What is a low-pressure tyre?
VF low-pressure tyres are designed to work at an inflation pressure much lower than traditional tyres.
This technology is based on a reinforced casing and special materials which allow the tyre to cope with heavy loads at a low inflation pressure, without incurring any structural damage.
These tyre models are designed to reduce soil compaction and improve traction.
Benefits of VT-TRACTOR tyres in bad weather conditions
Bridgestone’s VT-TRACTOR tyres are the fruit of innovative R&D work focused on optimising modern tractor performance.
Their characteristics make it possible to work at low pressure and improve your yields, especially in wet conditions:
- Soil protection: thanks to their longer, larger soil footprint, these premium tyres spread the machine load over a bigger surface area, thus limiting the damage caused to the soil.
- Improvement of crop growth: by reducing compaction, thus encouraging better inflation of water and optimal aeration of the soil, VT-TRACTOR tyres contribute towards healthy, vigorous crop growth.
- Improved adherence and traction: the specific lug design of these premium tyres guarantees optimal grip and traction, even in the most harsh working conditions (slippery or muddy ground).
Reduction of slip and optimisation of fuel consumption
Slip is when the tyre slides on the ground. Too much slip leads to a loss of energy and an increase in fuel consumption
How do VT-TRACTOR tyres reduce slip?
These premium tyres have a longer, larger soil footprint. The bigger the contact patch with the ground, the better the distribution of the tractive force.
More lugs can work together at the same time. This more balanced distribution of horizontal torque means that the tyre has a better grip on the ground, thus reducing the risk of slipping.
In addition, its innovative “Involute” tyre lug optimises traction. Thanks to their cleverly designed profile, the lugs evacuate earth more efficiently with every rotation of the wheel, facilitating the self-cleaning of the tread. This improves adherence, especially on soft or wet ground.
What are the benefits of reduced slip?
By reducing pressure and optimising the contact patch, low-pressure VT-TRACTOR tyres decrease rolling resistance. This means that the tractor needs less energy to move forwards.
- Fuel savings.
- Reduction of tyre wear.
- Improvement of tractor performance, especially in terms of traction and manoeuvrability.
- Less fatigue during the working day.
CONCLUSION
A well-considered choice of tyre can contribute significantly to the profitability of a farm, especially in wet regions.
Low-pressure tyres, such as the VT-TRACTOR tyre, offer an efficient solution to the problems caused by soft soil by reducing compaction, slip and excess fuel consumption.
In addition, their wear-resistance make them a very profitable long-term investment.
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.
Most people who read this article have also read some of the following articles:
- How to reduce soil compaction after harvesting?
- What type of farming tyre is best for preventing ruts?
- Expert opinion on soil compaction caused by tractor tyres
- Demonstration of soil compaction linked to your tractor tyres
- Why analyse the soil footprint of your agricultural tyres?
- Which agricultural tyre helps you to preserve soil fertility?
- Technological farming innovations to avoid soil compaction
- Which agricultural tyre preserves the soil’s production capacities?
- 9 major points on soil compaction linked to tractor tyres
- Where does the economic interest in the VF agricultural tyre lie for equipment sharing cooperatives?
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