Bridgestone app helps farmers protect soil

Farmers are well aware that maintaining low tyre inflation pressure is essential to minimise soil compaction. However, since a tyre’s recommended pressure varies depending on tyre size, tractor speed and payload, it is not always easy to keep track of the correct information. That is why Bridgestone has developed a user-friendly smartphone app that tells farmers in an instant the minimum tyre pressure they can use in specific conditions. As such, Bridgestone believes the app goes a long way towards helping farmers protect their soil, and boost the performance, productivity and working life of their VT-Tractor tyres.

The VF-technology used in the VT-Tractor range of Bridgestone-brand agricultural tyres released in mid-2014 has, the tyre maker says, succeeded in changing the face of farming. Capable of operating at significantly lower inflation pressures, Bridgestone claims its delivery of outstanding traction and performance despite reducing ground contact pressure and associated soil compaction. As a result, the tyre is able to deliver far greater efficiency and productivity to farmers while reducing the impact on their crops and top soil. Getting the most out of VT-Tractor tyres, however, requires operating at lower inflation pressure. Thanks to the newly-developed Bridgestone Tyre Pressure App, it is now easier than ever for owners to maximise their tyres’ potential.

The Bridgestone Tyre Pressure App aims to be “extremely intuitive and easy to use.” Farmers simply need to select their tyre size to view the correct inflation pressure for the load and speed of their tractor.

“The digital world is rapidly expanding to include the domain of farming. It is not so practical to consult printed technical manuals out in the field,” comments Harald Van Ooteghem, senior manager marketing planning at Bridgestone Europe. “However, with the increased popularity of smartphones, Bridgestone saw an opportunity to offer farmers a convenient and powerful tool for checking their tyre pressure at any location. So they can ensure to always operate at the lowest possible pressure to extract the maximum performance and productivity from their valuable investment, while protecting their soils.”

Soil Care by Bridgestone

When Bridgestone talks about its agricultural radial range the word ‘premium’ is never far away, and this is because the tyre maker states that these are product that have been specifically engineered to offer farmers superior traction, efficiency and performance while safeguarding their most valuable asset: their soil. As the flagship tyre of the Bridgestone agricultural line-up, the VT-Tractor’s very flexible casing and bead construction allows for higher payloads at lower pressures; internal tests conducted in March 2014 show the tyre can achieve a 26 per cent larger lug contact area compared with the other premium products in the field. The larger footprint results in greater traction and hence enhanced efficiency, allowing farmers to cover up to 0.9 hectares per day more (according to internal tests) than with other premium products.

Narrow rim option

The Bridgestone Tyre Pressure App also cover sizes that feature the Narrow Rim Option (NRO), the new experimental standard developed by Bridgestone. VT-Tractor tyres featuring the NRO marking can be fitted to narrower rims than are normally prescribed for the respective VF- tyre sizes. The ability to use standard rims gives farmers the option of benefiting from VF technology without the additional investment of wider rims.

The Bridgestone Tyre Pressure App currently contains tyre pressure values for all sizes launched in 2014, and new sizes will be made available via an update scheduled for release in January 2015. The app is now available for download for both Apple and Android users and comes in six languages: English, French, German, Dutch, Italian and Spanish.