Farm vehicles approaching weights of sauropods

[Bogweevil]

Interesting that no mention of soil moisture factor:

The total weight of laden combine harvesters has increased nearly 10-fold, from around 4,000 kg in 1958 to about 36,000 kg in 2020 (SI Appendix, Table S1), with wheel loads of the front axle increasing from 1,500 to 12,500 kg (SI Appendix, Table S1).

Mechanization has greatly contributed to the success of modern agriculture, with vastly expanded food production capabilities achieved by the higher capacity of farm machinery. However, the increase in capacity has been accompanied by higher vehicle weights that increase risks of subsoil compaction. We show here that while surface contact stresses remained nearly constant over the course of modern mechanization, subsoil stresses have propagated into deeper soil layers and now exceed safe mechanical limits for soil ecological functioning. We developed a global map for delineating subsoil compaction susceptibility based on estimates of mechanization level, mean tractor size, soil texture, and climatic conditions. The alarming trend of chronic subsoil compaction risk over 20% of arable land, with potential loss of productivity, calls for a more stringent design of farm machinery that considers intrinsic subsoil mechanical limits. As the total weight of modern harvesters is now approaching that of the largest animals that walked Earth, the sauropods, a paradox emerges of potential prehistoric subsoil compaction. We hypothesize that unconstrained roaming of sauropods would have had similar adverse effects on land productivity as modern farm vehicles, suggesting that ecological strategies for reducing subsoil compaction, including fixed foraging trails, must have guided these prehistoric giants.

https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2117699119

 

[Bald Rick]

9 stone woman in stilletoes will cause more damage to a dance floor than 20 stone man in winkle pickers …

Possibly why tracked combines are getting more common together with the ability to deflate/inflate tyres from the cab on top line machinery

 

[Yale]

Just have to have bigger tractors and deeper subsoilers.

 

[Wilksy]

Genuine question, with the ground rock hard at harvest time does it really make a difference with a combine?

 

[HatsOff]

Surely this is part of the reason why we have tramlines?

 

[Rod Dumbreck]

I was at a ploughing match when the first Challengers came out, standing looking at it with awe, lowest ground pressure vehicle (except the Honda 3 wheeler) but when it started and moved off, I felt the earth subside with the vibration and massive weight trundling by.

 

[ollie989898]

I was at a ploughing match when the first Challengers came out, standing looking at it with awe, lowest ground pressure vehicle (except the Honda 3 wheeler) but when it started and moved off, I felt the earth subside with the vibration and massive weight trundling by.

The smaller sized Challengers based on the old new Holland 70 series weighed about 12 tonnes with nothing hanging off it front or back. If you lifted up a big mounted implement or plough the weight went straight to the rear 'axle' and you could see it.

 

[Nearly]

9 stone woman in stilletoes will cause more damage to a dance floor than 20 stone man in winkle pickers …

Possibly why tracked combines are getting more common together with the ability to deflate/inflate tyres from the cab on top line machinery

More likely to be 20st in stilletos round here.

It's all about ground pressure.

 

[Bury the Trash]

Genuine question, with the ground rock hard at harvest time does it really make a difference with a combine?

and how often. how many yrs in ten, how many years in the last 50 is /has the soil been rock hard at harvest time?

 

[Bury the Trash]

9 stone woman in stilletoes will cause more damage to a dance floor than 20 stone man in winkle pickers …

Possibly why tracked combines are getting more common together with the ability to deflate/inflate tyres from the cab on top line machinery

even with them expensive floaty tires or tracks , the the weight is still there, it doesn't just disappear up into thin air , it is just deferred, moved elsewhere, in ie. down deeper that's all.
its not rocket science either.

 

[wanton dwarf]

based on estimates

You should already know the answer if compaction is possible given the tyre pressures used.

 

[wanton dwarf]

even with them expensive floaty tires or tracks , the the weight is still there, it doesn't just disappear up into thin air , it is just deferred, moved elsewhere, in ie. down deeper that's all.
its not rocket science either.

What ? No its not.

If that was true then you wouldn't need trash compactors at waste sites with specific wheels designed to compact.

Where's the science behind that statement ?

 

[Bury the Trash]

What ? No its not.

If that was true then you wouldn't need trash compactors at waste sites with specific wheels designed to compact.

Where's the science behind that statement ?

Plenty of variables /helps / hinderances/ around soil compaction, like type of soil, how damp/wet it is ,organic matter content and more ...
....but at the top of the list no.1 for causing damaging compaction on susceptible soils is ...... Axle load.

its progressive as well, not just in the common sense thing that more weight potentially causes more compaction but the fact heavier axle loads cause damage deeper down, where it is both harder to remediate and takes a potentially bigger /heavier machine/machinery to alleviate thus its a vicious circle .
crucially and so as not to kid ourselves ..... In certain conditions Although up near the surface compaction isnt so bad but the deeper down compaction is still a factor in susceptible soils even with wider tyres /tracks etc .


Its been noticeable for several decades . in the reason we have been chasing our tails with ever larger tractors to pull the samewidth ploughs etc. soils are harder to pull stuff through .
Poor /deteriorated soil structure all adds to that picture as well wanting to cover wider widths /faster speeds and so on.

Not rocketscience infact like everything, complex if you start to think hard about it all but if we could get weight off it would be simple ! .
yes, of course its not that simple but it could be that todays tractors and machinery will be looked upon like dinosaurs in even the not too distant future.....

 

[wanton dwarf]

Plenty of variables /helps / hinderances/ around soil compaction, like type of soil, how damp/wet it is ,organic matter content and more ...
....but at the top of the list no.1 for causing damaging compaction on susceptible soils is ...... Axle load.

What a load of rubbish.

The number one factor in compaction is the ground pressure - which is why large low pressure tyres or tracks are best.

Note the fact these tyres are made of metal and have spikes. FFS where is the scientific evidence that you are not talking complete utter BS ?

Have a good think about foundations of houses, skyscrapers and anchors for suspension bridges - the total weight involved is not a factor in baring weight. If it was no large boats would float - FFS.

 

[Bury the Trash]

i dont know nothing about garbage dumps or building sites im talking about lovely healthy soil for growing things to the best of its capability.
ok see this

from this

Chapter: Soil Compaction Due to Increased Machinery Intensity in Agricultural Production: Its Main Causes, Effects and Management

In modern agriculture, most of the field operations from sowing to harvesting are done mechanically by using heavy agriculture machines. However, the loads from these heavy machines may induce stresse

www.intechopen.com

others are available and iirc there was some work done at Silsoe in the 70's that showed how wider tyres although compacted less on the surface still compacted deeper down.
all real research .
My own thoughts on the subject come from simple observations on farm .