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Benefits of Low Ground Pressure Tyre Equipment

1994; Elsevier BV; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/b978-0-444-88286-8.50027-1

2212-411X

G.D. Vermeulen, U.D. Perdok,

Soil Management and Crop Yield

Summary The concept of the application of low ground pressure to reduce over-compaction of soil is discussed at the level of a uniaxial compression test, a single wheel, a vehicle and a traffic system. Generally, reduction of the pressure on the soil leads to lower levels of soil compactness. This principle is easily demonstrated in the laboratory. However, in a low ground pressure farming system, many factors other than the average ground pressure of tyre equipment determine the compaction levels obtained throughout the year. Nevertheless, traffic system experiments on a field scale generally show positive responses of the topsoil condition and the yield of most crops to substituting a low ground pressure traffic system for a conventional traffic system. Other benefits of low ground pressure traffic systems and opportunities for their application are briefly discussed.