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For a number of years during cotton harvest in California's San Joaquin Valley, a decrease in cotton plant height was noted in the rows adjacent to the traffic path of the tractor. Studies which measured soil compaction and cotton yields for several tractor configurations were conducted over two growing seasons. The first year's study consisted of sandy and clay test plots with four tractor configurations. The highest yield was with a conventional wheel tractor with dual rear tires and front wheel drive. The plot yielded 27% more cotton in the sandy field and 14% more in the clay field over the least producing tractor plot, which was the belted track tractor. In the second year's study, the highest yield was also with a conventional wheel tractor with dual rear tires and front wheel drive. The plot produced 5% more cotton over the least producing tractor plot, also a belted track tractor. Cotton yields correlated with the soil compaction (cone penetrometer) measurements.

Numerous traction tests of tires and belts have been conducted over the last few years. These tests cover a range of tire sizes, weights, and tire pressures as well as a range of belt sizes tested on vehicles of various configurations. Use of wider belts provides̳ the greatest tractive performance improvement under the more adverse tractive conditions. Larger diameter tires with longer footprint operating at correct low pressure nearly equal the performance of belts when tractive conditions are good.