Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Auburn, Alabama » Soil Dynamics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #344499
Research Project: Enhancing Production and Ecosystem Services of Horticultural and Agricultural Systems in the Southeastern United States

Location: Soil Dynamics Research

Title: Evaluation of low inflation tire technologies on soil compaction

Author
item TEKESTE, MEHARI - Iowa State University
item Way, Thomas - Tom
item BIRKENHOLZ, WAYNE - Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, Llc
item BRODBECK, SALLY - Precision Inflation, Llc

Submitted to: Proceedings of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers International (ASABE)
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/12/2016
Publication Date: 7/17/2016
Citation: Tekeste, M., Way, T.R., Birkenholz, W., Brodbeck, S. 2016. Evaluation of low inflation tire technologies on soil compaction. Proceedings of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers International (ASABE). 162461902:11.

Interpretive Summary: Soil compaction is often detrimental to crop production, as compaction can inhibit crop root growth, thereby reducing the ability of roots to uptake water. Compaction can be caused by vehicle traffic on soil, and in row-crop production, traffic during planting can cause compaction detrimental to crop growth and yield. Currently, agricultural tire manufacturers are offering new types of radial-ply tires designed to operate with greater tire deflections than conventional radial-ply tires. So, for a given load to be supported by a tire, the correct tire inflation pressure is less than for a conventional radial-ply tire. Compaction of soil is typically reduced when tire inflation pressure is reduced. A field experiment was conducted on a loam soil at the Iowa State University farm (Boone, Iowa) for two tire inflation pressure configurations on tractor and planter tires. Soil stresses indicative of compaction were measured using Stress State Transducers (SSTs) buried beneath the soil surface. Following traffic by the tractor and planter tires, the soil cone index was measured using a cone penetrometer. Peak Octahedral Normal Stress (ONS) and the corresponding Octahedral Shear Stress (OSS) values were calculated from the SST data. The peak ONS and OSS from the road tire inflation pressure setting were significantly greater than those for the field tire inflation pressure setting, with the maximum ONS observed at the 15 cm soil depth. The ONS from the front tractor tires and the planter transport tires were similar. Cone index data also showed significant differences, comparing before and after tire passes, at the centerline of the tire path.

Technical Abstract: Evaluation of recent advances in tire technologies such as advanced deflection agricultural tires (Firestone IF and VF) and precision tire inflation technologies on soil compaction, traction, fuel economy and crop yield responses are important. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of field and transport (road) tire inflation pressure settings of row-crop agricultural tractor and planter tires on soil compaction. A randomized complete block design experiment was conducted on a loam soil at the Iowa State University farm (Boone, Iowa) for two tire inflation pressure configurations on dual front (Firestone IF 420/85R34) and dual rear (Firestone IF 480/80R50) tires of a John Deere 8310R MFWD tractor, and transport tires (Super single 445/50R22.5) on a John Deere DB60 planter. Soil compaction was measured using Stress State Transducers (SSTs) buried at 15 cm and 30 cm depths beneath the untrafficked soil surface. Following traffic by the tractor and planter, the soil cone index was measured at (a) the centerline of the path of the front and rear outer left tractor tires and the outer left planter transport tire, (b) the edge of that path of the three tires, and (c) 20 cm laterally outboard of the tire edge. Peak Octahedral Normal Stress (ONS) and the corresponding Octahedral Shear Stress (OSS) values were calculated from the SST data. The peak ONS and the corresponding OSS from the road tire inflation pressure setting were significantly greater than those for the field tire inflation pressure setting (P < 0.01). The maximum ONS was observed at the 15 cm soil depth from the road tire inflation pressure setting of the rear tractor tires (179 kPa tire inflation pressure and 25 kN load per tire). The ONS from the front tractor tires (138 kPa tire inflation pressure and 17 kN load per tire) and planter transport tires (620 kPa tire inflation pressure and 16.5 kN load per tire) were similar to one another. Cone index data also showed significant differences, comparing before and after tire passes, at the centerline of the tire path. The peak cone index values were 1.3 MPa and 1.2 MPa from the road and field tire inflation pressure settings, respectively.