Magazine - Treading Lightly Gives Soil a Chance

By Phil Toy in Industry News on 6th Aug 2009 6:00

Turf machinery tyres which apply minimal downward pressure give the soil a better chance of doing its job of supporting a healthy grassed surface.

Agronomist Phil Toy has applied this principle after assessing the importance of chemical and physical properties of soil.

“I found that much of the good work to improve soil properties can be undone if we don’t look at the factors that lead to early re-compaction or disturbance of the surface,” he said.

“One of the culprits has been tractors with standard tyres that have high point pressure and dig into the soil, leaving ruts and scruffing the turf with every pass.”

Among suppliers of low pressure, high floatation, tyres is Steve Hill at Solid Service, which specialises in industrial, forestry and agricultural tyres. The business was bought by Trelleborg Wheel Systems in 2007, which strengthened diversity and access to improving technology.

It was the low pressure, high floatation, technology which opened up new opportunities for Steve Hill. He said the number of treatments for quality turf, from dethatching to mowing, meant attention should be given to tyres that had less impact on soil structure and did not affect the capacity of the soil to allow root system development and adequate water penetration.

Phil Toy likes the attributes of the twin tyre model, so named because of the combination of cross-ply and radial-ply design. Sidewalls in the wider-than-normal tyres are thicker than with radial tyres yet are softer and more flexible. The technology is all about spreading weight, leaving the impact no greater than that applied by people walking over the turf.

“Another feature is their higher purchase price but you have to see the total economic picture,” he said.

“In this case I see the better tyres protecting an investment in turf establishment or renovation and for my clients there will be water savings when soil conditions are maintained. There is also the potential, when equipped with these tyres, for certain work to be started earlier in spring and proceed longer into the autumn without concern about compaction.”

NSW & South Australian -based Sustainable Turf Renovations & Equipment uses the tyres as a standard of sustainable practice.

“As we learned a long time ago in broadacre cropping, improving soil structure and protecting it through our practices, is essential for sustainability,” Phil Toy said. “So it makes sense to follow the lead of Sustainable Turf Renovations & Equipment and consider the longer term effects of the way we manage the soil.”

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Read more articles in Industry News, by Phil Toy or from August 2009.