Kongskilde Industries will use next month’s Agritechnica to launch a new generation of plough bodies for high-HP tractors and difficult soils. Called the XLD, and one size larger than the company’s existing XL plough body, the XLD works up to a depth of 35cm and is suitable for tractors with tyres up to 710mm. Designed for furrow widths from 40 to 55cm, the company claims this 5cm increase in average furrow width improves productivity by up to 10%.  Designed to work at speeds up to 8km/hr, the new and patented helical design of the XLD body ensures soil is completely turned even in heavy clay soils, and tests show that the new body has a similar low draft requirement to the XL. Kongskilde says one of the secrets behind the durability of the XLD plough body is the 19-hour treatment of the steel for the mouldboards. Heated to 900°C, the mouldboard is formed by special tools and then shock chilled to room temperature. The company claims this process helps to increase the life expectancy of the mouldboard by 50%. The development of the new plough body started five years ago and for the last three years has been thoroughly tested in different soil types, and in a number of the big European markets. Offered on new Kongskilde and Överum plough lines, the company has great expectations. “We have a strong belief that the XLD plough will set the standard when it comes to both wide and deep ploughing and the lowest power demand in the market,” says group product manager Morten Wittrock Brandt of Kongskilde Industries.