Nine Tips to Minimize Field Ruts

Field ruts create a plethora of issues for farmers—they increase wear and tear on equipment, reduce operator comfort, and can indicate soil compaction. Furthermore, water can create channels and result in the erosion of valuable soil. Need another compelling reason to control ruts? A Minnesota State University Extension educator found that ruts led to a 17% decrease in yield in observation fields.

The best way to deal with ruts is to mitigate the issues that cause them in the first place.

Understanding IF/VF Tires 

IF/VF tires are an increasingly common sight on today’s farms as more and more users discover the numerous advantages they offer. For example, IF/VF tires—like Yokohama Off-Highway Tire’s Alliance AgriFlex/AgriFlex+—can help increase productivity, improve efficiency, lower fuel consumption, reduce soil compaction, and ultimately deliver a lower total cost of ownership.

Traction and Compaction in Wet Fields 

Thoughts of perfect weather and ideal field conditions fill every farmer’s head, but those dreams aren’t always a reality. While we preach patience and believe in biding your time until a field is ready to support equipment, sometimes waiting isn’t an option. In cases when you simply must enter wet and muddy fields, here are some steps you can take to increase flotation, maximize traction, and reduce soil compaction.

Innovative Tires For Improved Farmer Financial Stability 

Times are tough in the business of farming; margins are decreasing, input costs are rising, and the weather is as unpredictable as ever. While we frequently talk about how we’re developing new and innovative application-specific tires to help farmers meet the challenges facing them, this is only one way that we're working to help farmers improve financial stability—not just today, but for generations to come. One of the most interesting projects we’re currently working on is a collaboration with two Iowa-based businesses at the cutting-edge of out-of-the-box thinking and innovation: Cedar Valley Innovation and Precision Inflation.