Chet Cline and Andrew Kee of Air CTI claim there will be improvements both in machine economy and in lower levels of soil compaction from using machinery with lower pressure.

Their Air CTI product is a centralised system that allows a machine operator to centrally adjust tyre pressure on the move.

Mr Cline said the ability to be able to quickly adapt pressure to suit the conditions could lead to big savings for growers.

He said there needed to be a move away from using the one pressure for all applications.

“Obviously driving on the road and planting in the paddock require different things.

“High pressure is better for high speeds, but low pressures are far better where traction is needed and lower compaction is important,” he said.

Mr Kee said centralised tyre inflation is already widely used in Europe and North America.

“With farmers increasingly realising the benefits of no-till and reducing compaction, it makes sense that they will start to look at ensuring their machinery compacts the soil as little as possible.”

However, it is not just hard to quantify soil quality benefits arising from operating with lower pressures.

Mr Cline said there was also a good result in terms of reduced fuel costs, along with reduced wear and tear on machinery and tyres.

Surveys from the US and Europe find a fuel saving of between five and ten percent when towing a trailer in the paddock.

“It may even lead to the case where a smaller or lighter tractor may be able to do the job, saving money in terms of fuel and also reducing paddock compaction.”

Mr Kee said it was often a case of benefits combining to accentuate the impact.

“There is less compaction, so less energy is needed, so there is less compaction, it’s a cycle.”

Mr Cline said that although it seemed like a minor issue, air tyre pressure could lead to savings that added up to the thousands of dollars for a broadacre cropper.

“The beauty of it is that it is all cream, it is all savings.”