Your tires play a major role in soil compaction

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Your soil serves as the foundation for crop growth, productivity and, by extension, crop yield and your profitability.

Healthy soil provides nutrients, supports robust root systems and facilitates efficient absorption of water and minerals.

Given how connected your soil is to your success, keeping it healthy is crucial — and minimizing soil compaction is a key factor in this.

“During fall harvest, you want to get your crops harvested when you can while minimizing soil compaction however you can,” said Austin Fischer, field engineer at Firestone Ag. “It’s a balancing act.”

There are many best practices and tips to help you reduce your equipment’s impact on your soil. Have you considered how your tires play a role in reducing soil compaction?

The right tire design and proper tire inflation can help minimize soil compaction and keep your most valuable resource healthy.

Understand What Contributes To Soil Compaction

“Understanding your soil and its condition is a key first step in building best management practices to minimize soil compaction in your fields,” Fischer said.

Three main factors impact soil compaction — soil moisture levels, soil type and the pressure exerted on the soil.

• Soil moisture level — Wet soil is less resistant to external pressures, making it easily compacted. When possible, avoid excessive traffic on wet soil.

• Soil type — Different soil types vary in their susceptibility to compaction. Clay soils are highly susceptible due to their small, consistent particle size, while sandy soils are less prone to compaction because they have larger particles and allow water to drain quickly. Managing your soil based on soil type can help minimize compaction.

• The pressure exerted on soil and the amount of traffic — Common knowledge tells us that the more pressure you apply to soil, the more likely it is to become compacted. Reducing and controlling the traffic on your soil during harvest helps minimize the impact.

The Footprint Of Your Tire Matters

A tire’s footprint directly influences equipment’s impact on soil compaction. A larger footprint distributes the machinery’s weight over a larger area, reducing the pressure exerted on the soil and helping to minimize the depth and severity of compaction.

A smaller footprint concentrates the weight over a smaller area, increasing the risk of deep soil compaction.

Consistently using tires with a large footprint can improve long-term soil health by maintaining proper soil structure.

Choosing tires designed to provide a larger, well-distributed footprint and inflating them properly can help protect soil health, improve crop yields and ensure the long-term sustainability of your operation.

Get The Largest Footprint Possible

“A well-designed and properly inflated tire makes all the difference in minimizing the ground pressures exerted on the soil by your equipment,” Fischer said. “Luckily, we are seeing tire technology continue to evolve to offer more load-carrying capacity with reduced inflation pressure.”

Tires with IF or VF technology are built with a flexible yet durable sidewall and run at a lower inflation level than standard radials, allowing full expansion of the footprint while being rigid enough to keep the center of the tread anchored to the ground to maintain traction and wear performance.

Tires with IF technology can carry about 20% more load than standard equivalent-sized radial tires at the same inflation pressure. When axle loads do not increase, the inflation pressure can be reduced to standard radial tires.

Tires with VF technology can carry about 40% more load than standard equivalent-sized radial tires at the same inflation pressure. When axle loads do not increase, the inflation pressure can be reduced compared to standard radial tires.

An overinflated tire results in a smaller footprint, leading to increased ground pressures, reduced traction and ride quality and uneven wear performance.

An underinflated tire has a larger footprint, but can cause abnormal wear and sidewall breakdown reducing tire life.

The ultimate goal is to run the lowest possible inflation pressure needed to carry the maximum axle load the tire will see. A Central Tire Inflation System can help by enabling on-the-fly inflation adjustments to match varying axle loads.

“If you are not sure what the optimal inflation pressure is for your tires, refer to your equipment’s operator’s manual and consult the tire’s load tables to determine the optimal inflation pressure,” Fischer said.

“Your local Firestone Ag certified dealer can also help, along with tools like the Firestone Ag Tire Pressure Inflation Calculator.”