Why are agricultural tyres crucial for soil preservation?
Authored by: Tractor tyre expert | 20 December 2024
Soil preservation is not just a question of ecology: it’s an economic and strategic necessity for your farm. The quality of your soil has a direct bearing on the growth capacity of your crops, the productivity of your land and, in the long term, on the profitability of your farm. Soil compaction is an invisible enemy that threatens this balance. Resulting from repeated passes of agricultural machinery and tyres that are unsuitable or overinflated, compaction blocks root development, reduces the richness of the soil and compromises your yields. Faced with this problem, agricultural tyres play a role often underestimated, yet essential. Appropriate tyres, especially low-pressure IF technology tyres, offer an efficient solution for limiting compaction, improving traction and reducing wear.
In this article, discover how a judicious choice of agricultural tyres can transform your practices, protect your soil and maximise your yields. Combine performance and durability to make your equipment last and take full advantage of the benefits offered by optimised management of your tyres.
1. Better understanding of the problem of soil compaction
Soil compaction, an insidious blight on your farm
Often invisible in the short term, compaction related factors can have serious long-term consequences. They block the development of your crops, limit their ability to obtain the nourishment they need and to grow. The result is lower yields, greater vulnerability to climate hazards and additional costs, to try and restore damaged soil.
The consequences of compaction
These are multiple and have a direct impact on agricultural production:
Decrease in soil permeability: compacted soil is less porous, which reduces the capacity of water and nutrients to infiltrate towards the plant roots.
Blocking of root development: roots have trouble penetrating compacted soil, which limits their ability to develop and reach maturity in the best conditions.
Increased erosion: compacted soil is more vulnerable to erosion, especially surface run-off as the water is unable to infiltrate.
All these consequences together lead to a significant drop in agricultural yields, which can reach up to 50% in certain cases.
Compacted soil prevents water infiltration and encourages erosion
Aggravating factors
Several factors contribute to soil compaction, but the principal issues are linked to our agricultural practices:
The weight of agricultural machinery: the heavier the tractor, the more pressure it exerts on the ground, which leads to compaction of the top soil.
Working in wet conditions: wet soil is more sensitive to compaction. The moisture fills the pores in the soil making it more fluid and more compressible under the weight of the machines.
The tyres on the agricultural machines: the type of tyres and their inflation pressure have a direct influence on the soil by transferring pressure to it. Unsuitable tyres accentuate soil compaction.
Unsuitable tyres accentuate soil compaction
2. What is the link between the agricultural tyre, your soil and your profitability?
The agricultural tyre, often considered as a mere mechanical component, actually plays a non-negligible role in farm performance levels. Its features or settings have a direct impact on soil health, crop growth and ultimately on your profitability.
Pressure to the ground and tyre footprint: the performance equation
The pressure exerted on the ground by a tyre depends on its load and contact area with the ground. The larger the contact area, the less pressure is exerted at each point. Here is the difference resulting from the tyre technology used:
Standard tyres These models, which are built with a less resistant structure, generally require higher pressure to manage the load. The contact area and therefore the tyre footprint are smaller, which increases the pressure to the ground and encourages compaction.
Low-pressure tyres These high-tech tyres, such as IF tyres, are designed to work at low pressure. Thanks to their solid yet flexible casing, they offer a larger tyre footprint which reduces the pressure to the ground and limits compaction.
Low-pressure tyres combined with a change in tyre size The best way to reduce pressure to the ground is to combine IF technology with a larger size of tyre. By swapping to a 65 or 60 series tyre you increase the volume of air in the tyre, and as such your load capacity, without having to increase pressure. This allows you to improve traction and reduce soil compaction, while continuing to work with heavy implements.
Low-pressure tyres have a larger contact area with the ground
What is the direct link with profitability
The existence of a source of money saving linked to agricultural tyres may seem exaggerated, yet your tyres have an impact at several levels: soil, wear, fuel consumption. These three levels combined will effectively modify your operating costs and your yields:
Less compaction leads to better crop growth The healthier the soil, the more productive it will be. Compacted soil has an altered structure, which limits water infiltration and soil aeration. The roots then have more difficulty developing, which has a direct impact on crop growth and yields.
Reduction in tyre wear and fuel savings Thanks to its larger contact area with the ground, a low-pressure tyre spreads the load better and reduces slip. There are more lugs in contact with the soil simultaneously which leads to a better traction capacity. This results in less rapid wear to the tyre and reduced fuel consumption for each piece of land worked on.
3. Less pressure: the key to preserving your soil
The importance of low-pressure tyres
Low-pressure tyres represent a major breakthrough in soil preservation. By reducing the air pressure within the tyre, it flattens out more and increases its contact patch with the ground. The extended tyre footprint has several beneficial consequences:
Reduction in soil compaction By spreading the weight of the tractor over a larger area, the pressure to the ground is reduced. This limits the damaging phenomenon of compaction.
The reduction of pressure combined with a change in tyre size increases the size of the tyre footprint
Maintaining soil fertility The benefits of low-pressure tyres are not limited to compaction. By reducing soil compaction, you preserve biodiversity. Compaction effectively destroys the habitat of micro-organisms and earthworms, which are essential to soil fertility.
Less pressure to preserve soil fertility
Less pressure equals less slip for optimal traction
Excessive slip has negative consequences on your productivity and the quality of the topsoil. Here are the advantages of reducing the slip ratio:
More efficient work even in wet conditions Low-pressure tyres reduce the slip ratio and allow you to work efficiently, even in wet conditions. Thanks to their larger contact patch, they offer better grip on wet soils.
Reduced tyre wear Less slip leads to a reduction in premature tyre wear. Low-pressure tyres have more lugs simultaneously gripping the ground, which leads to less slip and therefore protects the tread against wear.
Savings on fuel consumption Slip leads to a loss of energy, as part of the engine power is needlessly dissipated. By reducing slip, you decrease working time and reduce fuel consumption, thus saving on operating costs.
4. The Maxi Traction IF tyre: ideal when renewing your tyres
Firestone’s Maxi Traction IF tyre is a first choice solution for farmers looking to optimise performance while protecting their soil.
Maxi Traction IF tyres for soil preservation
Technical advantages of the Maxi Traction IF tyre
IF technology for soil preservation This technology allows the tyre to deflect more easily under the weight of the load, offering a wider soil footprint. This leads to a more even spread of the pressure and a significant reduction in compaction.
Increased load capacity Despite a lower inflation pressure, the Maxi Traction IF tyre can carry up to 20% more load than a standard tyre. You can use heavier implements and increase your load capacity without compromising your tyre’s wear life.
Improved lug design The Maxi Traction IF’s Dual Angle lugs are designed to optimise traction and minimise soil disturbance. Their specific shape effectively reduces soil disturbance, thus limiting the damage caused to the soil structure.
Maxi Traction IF agricultural tyre: ideal for tyre renewal
Very good return on investment
The sturdy construction of the Maxi Traction IF casing, associated with a wear resistant compound ensures that this tyre has a long wear life, even in harsh working conditions. This premium tyre made by Firestone therefore helps you to save money thanks to:
Reduced wear: the extended tyre lifespan reduces the frequence of tyre replacements.
Greater productivity: thanks to its better traction and higher load capacity, you can work more rapidly and more efficiently.
Soil preservation: by reducing compaction, you maintain soil fertility on a long-term basis, thus ensuring stable and sustainable yields over time.
If you replace your tyres by choosing IF technology combined with a wider tyre, you can be sure that you are making a shrewd investment which will offer a remarkable investment performance ratio.
CONCLUSION
Opting for low-pressure IF tyres allows you to limit soil compaction. There are also many other benefits, such as: better traction and less slip, to limit loss of energy and fuel consumption, less wear, leading to a longer tyre lifespan.
Among the best models available, Firestone’s Maxi Traction IF tyre combines performance, durability and respect for the environment.
By choosing this type of tyre, you invest in the future of your farm and contribute towards more sustainable farming.
To help you clearly define the causes of premature wear on your current tyres, we have developed a complete guide for you to download free of charge "How to detect abnormal wear in my tractor tyres"
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This information is intended only to make you aware of the technical and functional aspects of agricultural tires and their use. It does not allow you to make a judgment or a definitive conclusion on a given problem. Only your agricultural tire expert is able to make a technical assessment and take a final decision, case by case.
