More Grip, Less Soil Stress Copadex and Alliance bring VF tire technology to western France
Live demonstrations showed how the right tire footprint can improve traction, reduce slip and help maintain healthy soil beneath heavy agricultural machinery
Landes, Charente-Maritime, France, [PUBLICATION DATE]: Copadex, powered by Alliance brought practical VF tire training to a new area of the French market with a Field Day held at EARL du Grand L’Air on 24 September 2026.
The event gave farmers, dealers and agricultural professionals the opportunity to see how tire technology and correct inflation pressure can influence traction, soil compaction and operating efficiency under working farm conditions.
The event combined live demonstrations with practical guidance intended to help farmers understand VF technology and make better-informed tire and pressure choices for their own machinery.
Making VF performance visible
All demonstrations focused on VF, or Very High Flexion, tires. VF construction allows a tire to carry the same load at a lower inflation pressure than a conventional radial tire, or to carry a higher load at the same pressure.
Reducing pressure increases the size of the tire’s contact area. This distributes the machine’s weight across a larger footprint, helping to limit soil compaction while allowing more of the tractor’s power to be converted into productive traction rather than unnecessary wheel slip.
A prepared soil profile enabled visitors to look below the surface and see how tire pressure and footprint affect the way a machine’s load passes into the soil. Working demonstrations also illustrated the relationship between inflation pressure, traction and machine efficiency.
The VF tires presented during the day included the Alliance Agriflex+ 373, Agriflex+ 372, Agriflex+ 354 and Agriflex+ 363 XT. Together, these products cover agricultural applications including tractors, harvesting machinery and self-propelled sprayers.
VF technology in farm use
The Field Day took place at EARL du Grand L’Air, where Guillaume Comte farms just over 250 hectares of wheat, barley, oilseed rape, peas, maize and sunflowers on predominantly shallow clay-limestone soils. His agricultural contracting business, Plantations Charentaises, also carries out operations for neighbouring farms.
Commenting on his practical experience with VF tires, Guillaume Comte said:
“From the moment we fitted the VF tires, the difference was clear: greater comfort on the road, strong traction in the field and considerably less visible impact from the tractor and combine, in both dry and wet conditions. For me, VF technology has been a real step forward.”
Comte first selected Alliance replacement tires for his combine following a recommendation from his local supplier. He has since fitted Alliance tires to further machinery, including two tractors equipped with Alliance Agriflex+ 372 VF tires, and has used more than 20 Alliance tires on the farm.
From demonstration to farmers’ own fields
Alliance also offered participants support towards the cost of trying VF tires on their own machinery, giving them the opportunity to assess the technology under their own working conditions.
Local agricultural schools were invited to participate. The initiative gave the next generation of farmers and agricultural technicians an opportunity to learn why load, speed, tire size and inflation pressure must all be considered when setting up a machine.
Aymeric Laurent, Field Sales at Alliance tires, commented:
“Inflation pressure is one of the most useful adjustments available to a farmer, but its importance is still often underestimated. By making the effects visible and allowing farmers to test VF tires for themselves, we can turn technical knowledge into practical decisions that benefit both the farm and its soil.”
Copadex and Alliance aim to increase access to VF knowledge and help more farmers select and use agricultural tires according to the machine, its load and the work being performed.
About Alliance tires
With a rich legacy spanning over 70 years, Alliance is a leading name in the off-highway tire sector. Through continuous innovation and advanced research, Alliance has been consistently offering top-tier products engineered to optimize productivity across applications. With state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities and robust research capabilities, Alliance has earned the reputation of offering a comprehensive portfolio of agricultural tires catering to diverse needs, making it the preferred choice of customers worldwide. Visit the website here
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