Soil protection with Yokohama VF technology
Conserving agricultural soils as finite resource for the production of food, feed and fibre for a growing world population is of utmost importance. When soils are compacted by large and heavy machinery, this poses a major thread to sustainable land use in general and soil fertility in particular.
In order to avoid negative effects on root growth, nutrient uptake and water management and associated losses in crop growth and yields, soil compaction must be avoided to the greatest possible extend – without, however, compromising efficiency and productivity of farmers around the globe.
That is why engineers at Yokohama Off-Highway Tires (YOHT) have been continuously working on radial tractor tyres, on Improved Flexion (IF) and Very High Flexion (VF) tractor tyres, on radial flotation tyres for trailers and – as a world’s first – the combination of flotation and VF technology in the Alliance 389 VF tyre for trailers, thus boosting soil protection and efficient operations.
Evidence of how these technologies work in the field was presented during practical demonstrations at the recent ILVO/Inagro event at the Bayer ForwardFarm Hof ten Bosch in Huldenberg, Belgium. Mounted on a trailer and combined with an air pressure control system, tyres such as the Alliance 389 VF-IMP made soil protection visible and measurable.
The positive effects of tractor tyres with VF technology that were developed and introduced by YOHT’s Alliance brand in recent years are thwarted when tractors equipped with VF tyres are followed by trailers with standard tyres, featuring an inflation pressure of two and four bar in the field.
If, however, also trailers are equipped with VF tyres, capable of inflation pressures down to 0.8 bar in the field, this results in clear benefits in terms of lower impacts on the soil, according to the tyre brand.
In addition to the markedly lower inflation pressure, further positive effects are ensured by the increased footprint of the tyres. The weight of the trailer and its load are supported on a contact area that is about 25 per cent bigger than with standard tyres.
The Alliance A389 VF-IMP features a special tread design for grip, flotation and effective self-cleaning as well as a 25 per cent larger footprint for significantly lower soil compaction.
In addition, this tyre is characterised by a very strong carcass to carry loads at 30 per cent lower inflation pressure – which can go down to 0.8 bar in the field – steel belts for reduced rolling resistance and minimum downtime, and special compounds for better overall performance and low wear.
The non-directional tread design with unique ‘S-shaped’ centre blocks ensures optimum traction on all soil types, effective steering in both directions, and easy mounting.
Gerrit Vinkers, customer quality improvement and application specialist at YOHT said: “As could be seen in the course of the practical demonstrations at Hof ten Bosch, flotation and VF technology of Alliance offer a convincing overall package – and this even more so with an air pressure control system, allowing for the adaptation of the inflation pressure for in-field work and on-road transport.
“These tyres were designed to avoid soil compaction and to allow for efficient operations – and they truly deliver. Measurements in the field with a folding yardstick and a penetrometer clearly showed the positive effects of our combination of flotation and VF technology.”