|
For sustainable development
of agriculture and enhancement of land productivity improved
implements and quality Agricultural machines are important. They
help to achieve timeliness of farm operations enabling efficient
use of other inputs such as seed, chemicals, fertilizers and
water. Under dynamic situation of changing cropping patterns as
influenced by socioeconomic factors, identification of quality
and need based agricultural machines are of paramount
importance.
As
far as the farm equipment industry is concerned, the major
component of manufacturing community is in the small scale
sector which can not afford to have their own Research &
Development facilities. Therefore, the quality of such
products is very difficult to achieve. Today variety of machines
can be seen being used in Indian agriculture, but it is not
always true that every machine being used have functional and
endurance reliabilities. The wide variation of soil and
agro-climatic conditions, agronomical practices and cropping
patterns may make one machine useful in one region but useless
in the other. Thus, the field of agricultural machinery
testing is most important and presents greater challenge in
achieving quality and standardization. In the light of urgent
need for testing of agricultural machinery, the Government of
India has set up Farm Machinery Training & Testing Institutes in
order to check performance of agricultural machines before
taking decision to import or manufacture and introduce in Indian
agriculture.
Testing by an impartial agency is the most reliable criteria in
judging performance of agricultural machines through laboratory
tests as well as tests under actual field conditions. Thus by
carrying out tests and performance evaluation of agricultural
machines, the institute is providing support for the appropriate
selection and utilization of agricultural machines when it is
introduced to the farm and at the same time supports the
industry for manufacturing proper farm machinery. The main
objectives of testing are as under.
OBJECTIVES OF TESTING
1.
To test agricultural machinery,
engines, etc. manufactured in the country with a view to assess
their functional suitability and performance characteristics
under different agro climatic conditions so that the published
test results would:
-conditions which
could be encouraged for production and popularization.
* Help the
farmers and other prospective purchasers in determining the
comparative performance of machinery
* Provide
material to researchers/designers for undertaking development
work on agricultural machinery, engineers and extension workers
for guiding farmers and other users in the proper selection of
equipment.
* Form basis for standard
specifications to be used by the manufacturers
and distributors.
* Help
financial Institutions in recommending financial assistance to
the manufacturers as well as the farmers.
2. To carryout trials on machinery and
implements which have proven successful in other regions
of the world with a view to explore the possibility of their
introduction in the Country.
3.To assist
Bureau of Indian Standards in the formulation of various
standards on agricultural implements and machines.
|
