ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER XXXXXXX 20 Matt McIntosh How compaction happens Impact of tires, organic matter, water infiltration, and more There was a lot of big iron on display in Rutherford, Ontario, on August 7, 2025. Above-ground heavy metal wasn’t the point of focus, though. It was soil, and what machines, large and small, do to it. The latest Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association compaction event featured a range of information sessions, from the impact of different tire and equipment configurations to methods for achieving compaction remediation. The event’s overarching theme highlighted how compaction, and how it happens, is more complex than one might expect. TIRE SCIENCE Kevin Barnim, an agricultural tire and wheel specialist with Tirecraft, began one session by discussing the importance of determining tire pressure based on the weight of the implement. Different tire types, however, can reduce required pressures. Increased Flexation (IF) and Very High Flexation (VF) tires, for example, can operate at 20 and 40 per cent lower pressure than standard, respectively, because they are constructed with steel bands running higher within the sidewall. Low Side Wall (LSW) tires can similarly allow for operation at reduced pressures, while dampening swaying. Cyclical Field Operation (CFO) tires, common on combined and grain carts, provide less ground pressure for equipment that frequently changes in weight. Tracks are sometimes identified as a means of reducing compaction, too, but Barnim says they still cause load spikes. AGRONOMY
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