Trelleborg agricultural Road Show continues in Italy

The second European stop of the Trelleborg 2016 Road Show for agricultural tyres begins today at the Nova Agricoltura exhibition in Italy. As was the case when the company kicked off its tour in Germany last month, Trelleborg will use the event in Bologna to showcase the selecting the optimal tyre inflation pressure for specific farming operations, as recommended using the Trelleborg Load Calculator (TLC).

To do so, New Holland T8.410 Auto Command tractors fitted with Trelleborg IF 650/60R34 TM1000 High Power front tyres and IF 900/60R42 TM1000 High Power rear tyres will run over two 200 metre tracks, with different inflation pressures. The tractors will be equipped with transparent cylinders showing the vehicle’s fuel consumption throughout the trial. The two tracks will be monitored by a digital chronometer that will measure the time gap between the two tracks and a computer application will calculate the efficiency savings. In addition, the tyres footprint and soil compaction will be measured.

Lorenzo Ciferri, marketing director for agricultural and forestry tyres at Trelleborg Wheel Systems, points out that tyre pressure is not merely a matter of efficiency – it is also about productivity over the long term. “It’s important to avoid damage in the first place,” he explains. “Soil compaction from tractor tyres can reduce the yield in subsequent years. Each tyre mark can mean less crops. Compaction affects the soil’s porosity and thus the infiltration rate, allowing rainwater to run off the surface, taking nutrients and pesticides with it.”

Test results have demonstrated that by applying the lowest possible pressure as recommended by the Trelleborg Load Calculator app, soil compaction is significantly reduced. Trelleborg expect this to be clearly shown by the water infiltration test during the exhibition. In addition, farming professionals can reduce operating time by up to 17 per cent and lower farming costs by up to 25 per cent. “This is a win-win situation,” Ciferri says. “Alongside the financial benefits, the real saving is in improving the soil structure.”

Previous trials have shown that lowering tyre pressure can bring substantial benefits, but with the stipulation that only higher-specification tyres, such as the TM1000 High Power range can perform well both on and off the fields. “The Trelleborg tyres on show let you drive over the field at low pressure while still driving at speed on the road,” concludes Ciferri.

Following the current display at Nova Agricoltura, the roadshow will visit farm shows and customer events in as many as seven European countries as well as in China and South Africa to showcase the latest generation of Trelleborg tyres and complete wheel sets.