- The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) has made both onboard and retrofittable central tyre inflation systems (CTIS) eligible for 60% grant funding
Agricultural tyre manufacturer Continental believes this can only have a positive effect on soil health and is offering additional technology to help farmers take advantage.
“60% of the expected £6,933 CTIS cost will be covered by the FETF, which means the investment is just £2,773.20. This will provide benefits far beyond the cost for both machine efficiency and soil health,” says agricultural tyre specialist Tom Godwin.
Caveats of the grant include that the inflation system must be capable of regulating all the tyres on the vehicle and that this can be achieved by the operator from the cab using control panel linked to a pneumatic control unit. The grant does not cover cars and trucks but will apply to tractors, sprayers, loaders and some forestry machinery.
“This will enable operators to significantly reduce soil compaction by adjusting pressure for load and ground conditions. However, load indexes can often be tricky to find and follow, which is why Continental has a phone app to help operators set up and monitor tyre pressures using a CTIS,” says Mr Godwin.
Continental’s TireTech app can be used on Apple and Andriod devices. It contains data about all Continental’s agricultural tyres, including tractor, telehandler and sprayer tyres, to enable the operator to select the optimum pressure for load.
“We also offer ContiPressureCheck, a tyre sensor that fits to the rim of the vehicle to monitor heat build up and pressure. Whilst setting the pressure at the start of a job has many benefits, the true value of a CTIS can be better realised by having up to the minute tyre information because pressures can vary by more than 10 percent during a working day,” advises Mr Godwin.
The FETF is also offering the same contribution for those specifying CTIS on new machines. Some brands have developed in-built systems, such as Fendt’s VarioGrip, that can be specified when purchasing certain models, and Continental offers a full range of tyres that can be specified on new machines.
“It is encouraging to see more brands offering CTIS as an option, because if buyers choose to specify tyres that can deliver the full benefit of these systems, we can reduce the impact machinery has on our soils,” concludes Mr Godwin.
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