Agricultural Engineering Today
Year : 2000, Volume : 24, Issue : 5
First page : ( 13) Last page : ( 28)
Print ISSN : 0970-2962.

Role of mechanisation of horticultural crops with emphasis on automation

Srivastava N.S.L., Assistant Director General (Engineering)

Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Krishi Shawan, New Delhi-110 001.

Abstract

Mechanisation of horticultural crops in India is at a very low level. Majority of the farmers are using traditional tools and equipment for various field operations involving drudgery, high cost of operation. wastage of agricultural inputs and damage to crop produce. Efficient and good quality hand tools and equipment have been developed and are commercially available. They need to be popularised amongst the farmers to increase their productivity and reduce losses. Since horticultural crops are high value crops but highly perishable in nature high capacity, precision equipment with automatic controls have been developed and are being used in developed countries for achieving timeliness in farm operations, reducing losses and maximising production. Details of such equipment are given in this paper. They need to be imported, evlauated and adopted under Indian conditons.

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