Farm Contractor & Large Scale Farmer
    Twitter LinkedIn
    • FREE Email Newsletters
    • About Us
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe
    • Contact Us
    Twitter LinkedIn
    Podcast
    Farm Contractor & Large Scale Farmer
    • News
      • Arable & Agronomy
      • Dealership News
      • Environmental Land Management Scheme/Policy
      • Event News
      • Health & Safety
      • Machinery
      • People
      • World News
    • Farm Machinery
      • Amenity & Maintenance
      • Cultivations
      • Drilling
      • Grassland Equipment
      • Harvesting
      • Muck & Slurry
      • Sprayers
      • Telehandlers
      • Tractors
      • Tractor of the Year
      • Tyres & Tracks
      • Whatever happened to?
    • Precision Farming
    • Markets & Policy
    • Profiles
      • National Arable and Grassland Awards
      • Company Profiles
      • Reader Profiles
    • Livestock
      • Beef
      • Dairy
      • Sheep
    • Magazines
      1. July 2025 issue
      2. June 2025 issue
      3. Cereals event guide 2025
      4. May 2025 issue
      5. April 2025 issue
      6. March 2025 issue
      7. 2025 Tyre Developments supplement
      8. February 2025 issue
      9. National Arable and Grassland Awards supplement
      10. January 2025 issue
      11. December 2024 issue
      12. November 2024 issue
      13. October 2024 issue
      14. September 2024 issue
      15. August 2024 Issue
      16. 2024 Drills and Seeds supplement
      17. July 2024 Issue
      18. Cereals Supplement
      19. June 2024 Issue
      20. May 2024 Issue
      21. April 2024 Issue
      22. Tyres and Tracks Supplement
      23. March 2024 Issue
      24. National Arable & Grassland Award – Meet the Finalists
      25. February 2024 Issue
      26. January 2024 Issue
      27. December 2023
      28. Agritechnica Preview Supplement
      29. November 2023
      30. October 2023
      Featured

      July 2025 issue available now

      By Matthew TiltJuly 9, 2025
      Recent

      July 2025 issue available now

      July 9, 2025

      Cereals event guide 2025 available now

      June 20, 2025

      June 2025 issue available now

      June 2, 2025
    • Events
    • Podcast
    Farm Contractor & Large Scale Farmer
    Machinery

    Seventh time lucky for British ploughing champion bidding to win world title?

    John SwireBy John SwireJuly 18, 20193 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email

    Tyne & Wear arable farmer, Peter Alderslade, who is the current British ploughing champion in the reversible class is ready for a 4000-mile transatlantic trip. In August he will travel to Minnesota, USA, where he will compete in the world ploughing championships. It will be his seventh attempt to win an elusive world title.

    Peter, who farms 800 acres at East Bolden, Tyne & Wear, competes with a 2004 Valtra A95 and a Kverneland two-furrow reversible plough. “It’s a strong little tractor with a well laid out cab and good visibility to the rear,” says Peter.

    As well as choosing machinery to compete at the highest level, he believes that his recent choice of tyres is a fundamental part of achieving the levels of precision the judges look for. In 2018 Peter changed to Continental Tractor 85 tyres and has used them in his last four competitions, including his win at the British championships.

    “The tyres have a narrow profile, so they fit the furrows well. With one tractor wheel always in the furrow I have just made, it’s important that I don’t damage it as I plough the next.” The judges mark competitors down for any inconsistencies in the formation of the furrows, especially when there is compaction caused by the tyres.

    Peter explains: “In the wet, the soil compacts more easily and if a furrow is broken you leave shiny and dull sides that are obvious to the judges. All of the furrows need to be even and look identical otherwise you lose points.”

    Peter’s tyres are more effective in the wet because they have greater flotation. The tyres have greater flexibility which help to spread the weight of his tractor more evenly. “I have watched other competitors sinking into the soil, whilst I have been ploughing successfully. It’s the tyres that make the difference.”

    As part of this, careful consideration is given to tyre pressure. In a wet field Peter reduces the pressure to 18 psi which is 25 percent lower than the suggested road pressure. “Reducing the pressure spreads the weight, helps with traction and reduces wheel slip. My tyres also have well-spaced lugs that self-clean, so the soil falls out more easily. I thrive in the wet now.”

    There is no prize money up for grabs. Instead Peter enjoys the competition and the network of friends he has made. The world championships take place over 10 days. Peter will compete to plough a triangular space with sides measuring 100 metres, 16 metres and 24 metres. He will be marked on 10 variables which include his time keeping, the straightness of his lines and the consistency of his technique.

    Peter will return to Britain on 3rd September. Regardless of his result at the world championships, he will begin preparations for the next British ploughing championships which take place in Lincolnshire on 13th October.

     

    Tweet
    Share
    Share
    Pin
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
    Previous ArticleKuhn invests in people to underpin growing technical support
    Next Article New study provides insight into Brexit impacts for beef and lamb sectors
    John Swire

    Read Similar Stories

    Versatile dribble bar provides precise application

    July 9, 2025

    July 2025 issue available now

    July 9, 2025

    June tractor registrations see smaller decline

    July 7, 2025
    Most Read Stories

    High-quality bales and reliability key to baler

    July 13, 2025

    Polaris’ latest line-up of off-road vehicles put to the test

    July 12, 2025

    Polish factory key part of Joskin business

    July 11, 2025
    Farm Contractor & Large Scale Farmer

    The UK's leading agricultural machinery journal

    Twitter LinkedIn
    © 2024 MA Agriculture Ltd, a Mark Allen Group company

    Privacy Policy | Cookies Policy | Terms & Conditions

    • Farmers Weekly
    • AA Farmer
    • Poultry News
    • Pig World

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.