As farm machines get heavier, the track systems that support them are having to get chunkier, too. The latest example of this is the new Ploeger EPD540 pea viner that has just been bought by the 40 East Yorkshire growers that make up Swaythorpe Growers.

Its Claas Terratrac system is reckoned to be the first one in the world to use 900mm drive wheels, says operations director Matthew Hayward.

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“You can’t get the full benefit of 900mm tracks with the standard 650mm drive wheels, so we asked Ploeger to make the adaptation.”

Reduced compaction is one potential benefit, he says, but improved stability is important, too. “As machines have got heavier and wider, seed-beds have tended to become more uneven. This causes the viners to rock from side to side and lose peas over the side aprons.”

Other extras included extra LED lights, an all-round walkway and more cameras to improve safety and ease of operation. These, together with the 900mm drive wheels, brought the list price up to €500,000 (£395,000).

Higher output and reduced fuel consumption have been noticed immediately, say operators, although it won’t be until the end of the season in September when the final results will be known.

Ploeger has also switched from Deutz to Scania engines, with five cylinders pumping out 396hp. Operator Mr Derek Moore reckons noise levels are much lower than on the two older EPD538 machines. Any complaints? Just that the turning circle could be tighter, he says.