New, more versatile tyres from Continental will be safer on the road, reduce soil compaction and save farmers time, said the company.

Its very high flexion (VF) agricultural tyres – which will be launched at Agritechnica next week – feature a more flexible side wall which enables the vehicle to carry 40% more load than a standard tyre at the same pressure.

Alternatively, in the field, the pressure of VF tyres can be lowered by 40% compared to standard tyres, even when carrying the same load. This spreads weight over a larger surface area and reduces soil compaction.

The more flexible construction of the tyre makes it possible to transition from the field to the road without adjusting the pressure and even at the reduced pressure required for field use, the tyre can also run at full speed on the road.

“These tyres deliver what farmers need – the opportunity to drive to a job and start work without having to change tyre pressure. VF represents the biggest fundamental shift in tyre design for years,” said Richard Hutchins, Continental UK sales manager.

Continental has invested in a dedicated agricultural tyre research and development facility at its factory in Lousado, Portugal. The new VF tyre will be available for both tractors and combines and has been developed with a new, more flexible bead design to soak up the stress agricultural tyres experience during varied farm work.

The patented ‘N.flex’ technology used in the construction of the VF improves impact absorption whilst also helping the tyre return to its original form after heavy use and the first VF tyres will be available in the UK from February, 2020.