The right tires for stony and sandy agricultural soils

I was originally an elegant retreat used as a base for hunting and subsequently converted into a farm. This is the Euston estate, located on the border between the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk in Eastern England, immersed in a charming natural environmental characterized by spectacular woods and rivers.

Today, the business is run by the Farm Manager Matthew Hawthorne, who tells us about his business and work: “We have over 4,200 hectares to grow cereals, vegetables, pulses, but above all sugar beet, whose cultivation extends for over 280 hectares.”

Every year, Matthew Hawthorne and his staff harvest over 16,500 tons of beet. The cultivation of these plants starts in March with sowing, while the harvest is done weekly or monthly from September to the start of February.

During sowing phase around 50% of the land is ploughed and compacted, while the other 50% is worked without tilling.

Choosing a tire to facilitate operations and which is suitable to the type of soil is essential, as Matthew Hawthorne explains: “Our fields are characterized by the combination of clay soils to the North and sandy to the South of the estate. The challenge is therefore to find a flexible product that is effective in all conditions.”

“I'm always looking for solutions that have a robust casing, so as to reduce the risk of punctures, given that the soil at Euston is full of flint, which is quite a sharp stone. Robustness, effectiveness and reliability are certainly the three characteristics which every tire must have.”

To meet these needs, Matthew has chosen to equip his machinery with BKT's bestselling tires, AGRIMAX V-FLECTO, AGRIMAX TERIS and FL 630.

AGRIMAX V-FLECTO is the solution dedicated to high-powered tractors, which guarantees top performance on every type of soil. Thanks to the VF technology it features, this tire makes it possible to maximize loads without changing tire pressure, regardless of speed. It is thus possible to carry 40% more load than a standard tire in the same class.

Thanks instead to a wider tireprint and tread, this tire guarantees reduced soil compaction.

The great strength of AGRIMAX-V-FLECTO is its robustness which ensures a product life cycle 10% longer than equivalent tires, thanks also to the ultra-resistant casing and the special reinforced bead.

AGRIMAX TERIS is designed for harvesters and reapers. It has excellent flotation capacity thus limiting damage to the soil and guaranteeing excellent harvesting performance, with the ability to support very high loads. In addition, AGRIMAX TERIS is particularly resistant to cuts and impacts due, for example, to the presence of stubble on the ground, thus guaranteeing a long lifecycle and reducing vehicle downtime.

Finally, FL 630, a Flotation tire characterized by excellent flotation capacity which reduces the impact on the ground. Thanks to the robust structure, this tire guarantees excellent traction and perfect grip, also on bends or during maneuvers. The particular design of the tread ensures good stability on every type of soil and gives the tire excellent self-cleaning capability.

“Another characteristic which I have especially appreciated in BKT tires is their low-noise level during operations, a feature which is very important for us considering the homes and villages that border on the estate – Matthew Hawthorne goes on. BKT has truly managed to meet my needs to perfection.”

The goal of the Indian Group has always been to develop solutions that respond to the widest possible needs of its users. And in this sense BKT Stories, i.e. the first-hand experiences of those who, like Matthew Hawthorne, try out the brand's solutions directly, have a truly central role. The feedback from those who use BKT products every day in the field is essential to develop products that respond to the widest possible needs of every farm.

Watch the BKT Story video with the testimony from Euston Farm: