Will reduce reliance on diesel across India
In a webinar held on August 25, 2020, Dr Harish Hirani, Director, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-CMERI), Durgapur, gave a thorough and analytical presentation. He highlighted the array of CSIR-CMERI developed Farm Mechanization, Agricultural and Post-Harvest technologies.
Hirani charted the technology development journey from the Swaraj Tractor developed by CSIR-CMERI during the Green Revolution to the compact Krishi Shakti Tractor developed as a specimen of the changing trends in Agricultural practices.
He showcased innovative agricultural technology interventions ranging from Precision Planter for Vegetables, Offset Rotavator for Orchards to Controlled Atmosphere Renewable Energy Based Stand-Alone Cold Storage Unit, Leaf Collector System and Automatic Bio-Mass Briquetting Plant.
CSIR-CMERI will be launching the First Generation E-Tractors in September, 2020, which can overhaul the current Diesel-intensive tractor usage practices prevalent across the nation.
To enhance the income of farmers and to get proper value for their produce, CSIR-CMERI has developed post-harvest technologies and have been installed in various states of North East India including Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur. The future trend in Agriculture would be driven by Artificial Intelligence and Efficient Electronic Architecture, and the R&D course of CSIR-CMERI is already aligned in this direction.
