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Kevlar tractor tires?

Steve

Well-known member
I think Kevlar has been in some high end tires now for a few years, so I wouldn't be surprised if it found it's way into tractor tires considering the cost of a flat.. but,I found this a bit entertaining..

Kevlar Tires Now Required to Traverse ‘Spear-Like’ GMO Crops

The website reports that farmers who have opted to plant Monsanto’s genetically modified seeds have run into one daunting problem (outside of decreased yields and an extremely higher risk of disease): little ‘spear-like’ stalks from the harvested GMOs are absolutely wreaking havoc on the heavy duty tractor tires.

Described by one farmer as a ‘field of little spears’, farmers are now turning to kevlar tires. In case you’re not aware, kevlar is the same material used in bulletproof vests to protect from gun bullets.

The stalks are so sharp and weapon-like that they can wreck an entire set of wheels, which is a daunting reality when considered that one tractor can have as many as eight heavy duty tires. Furthermore, a single tractor tire can easily cost thousands of dollars. Thanks to the GMO crops, the average lifespan of a tractor tire has dwindled from five or six years down to just one or two — if the farmer is lucky.
http://www.infowars.com/kevlar-tires-now-required-to-traverse-spear-like-gmo-crops/

tough corn?
 

Mike

Well-known member
Big Muddy rancher said:
Didn't they develop a solid stalk variety to resist the Corn Borer?

Don't know about solid stalks, but the stalks today do contain more lignin to help prevent lodging. But that's not a "Genetically Engineered" trait. Just plain crossbreeding?

The only problem I can remotely think of is radial tires that have a much thinner sidewall. Frozen stalks could be more problematic in "no-till" situations?

Corn is usually cut at a height to where the tire would push it over when running over it instead of the cut end coming into direct contact with a tire.

This article seems to be a wild imagination to me.
 

Big Muddy rancher

Well-known member
We have two Ontario corn growers visiting and they said that the BT corn has much harder stalks ad they are hard on the tires. Some farmers are using rollers in front of their tires.
 
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