Agricultural Engineering Division

The division is mandated to plan, coordinate, and monitor R&D programmes and serve as an information repository in Agricultural Engineering. It is involved in development and demonstration of technologies related to mechanization of production and post-production agriculture using conventional and non-conventional energy sources and includes mechanization of irrigation and drainage activities; and post-harvest and value addition of agricultural products and by products. It has five institutes, six AICRPs, two AINPs and four CRPs under its jurisdiction.

Vision

To make Indian agriculture sustainable, profitable and competitive enterprise through engineering interventions of farm mechanization, value addition and energy management in production and post-harvest operations.

Mission

To develop and introduce need-based and region-specific engineering technologies to achieve sustainable enhanced productivity and profitability of different farming systems.

Mandate

To plan, coordinate, and monitor R&D programs and serve as an information repository in Agricultural Engineering

Organizational Structure

Thrust Areas  

• Development of precision machinery and strategies for carrying out timely and efficient agricultural operations in irrigated, rain-fed and hill agriculture, horticulture, livestock and fisheries production.
• Increasing work efficiency for human, animal and mechanical systems and reduction of occupational hazards in agricultural operations.
• Energy management and utilization of conventional and non-conventional energy sources in agricultural production and processing activities.
• Utilization of surplus agricultural residues for decentralized power generation.
• Reduction of post-harvest losses, value addition to agricultural produce, processing and utilization of by-products.
• Application of robotics and drones in production agriculture, electromagnetic waves in food processing.
• Post-harvest management of natural resins and gums; and extraction, processing and value addition of natural fibers 
• Creation of functional/nutraceuticals foods and intelligent packaging systems.

Achievements

• During last five years (2017-2022) 218 technologies/machines have been developed; 75 technologies have been licensed/commercialised; 41,540 prototypes were manufactured and 1100 entrepreneurs were trained.
• Training of rural youth for establishment of agricultural machinery custom hiring centres. During 2014-21, a total of 1261 rural youth were trained and supported for establishment of custom hiring centres by ICAR-CIAE as against 255 during 2007-14.
• Assessment of Post-Harvest Losses for 45 major crops/commodities at national level was conducted twice and are being used for policy making in the country
• Established about 300 agro-processing centers for employment generation, value addition and capacity development of the entrepreneurs in the food processing and post-harvest management in production catchments.
• Developed Protocols for Shelf Life, Safe Storage, Milling Outturn and Indicative Norms for Procurement of Major Pulses for the country on behalf of Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs Food and Public Distribution, Govt. of India.
• Losses during storage of wheat and rice in warehouses for 3 years were evaluated in FCI and CWC Warehouses and the recommendations of the study have been implemented by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Govt. of India w.e.f. 01.01.2022.
• Catalyzed establishment of 45 food testing laboratories during 2014-21 for the very first time.
• Developed sugarcane bud chip settling transplanter and licensed to three farm machinery manufacturers. The machine has been included under subsidy programme of Tamil Nadu state and more than 52 units of machinery sold in India and abroad during 2020-2021.
• The Makhana popping machine developed in 2013-14 has become very popular and eliminated drudgery to negligible level in the popping of makhana besides adding more value to the finished products. Three private licensees are manufacturing this machine and and 5 value-added products have been made. Marketing of makhana and its value-added products grew by about 40% in past 3 years.
• Developed technology for accelerated retting of jute. This technology saves 50% water and 10-day time in retting of jute. The fibre quality is improved by 1-2 grade enabling additional income of Rs. 4500 per tons of jute fibre. It is commercialised as NINFET-Sathi through signing MoA with M/s Quality Export and Jute Corporation of India. It has become popular in West Bengal among jute growers.
• Mechanization solutions were provided to combat burning of crop residues in the northern Indian states. Happy Seeder and other machines numbering 56150 were distributed through a Central Sector Scheme to the farmers that enabled 51.9% reduction in straw burning events in 2019 as compared to 2016.
• Developed technology for commercial utilization of the cotton stalks, as source of renewable energy as briquettes and pellets. The sale of chipped cotton stalks can provide additional income of Rs.3000 per hectare to the cotton farmers. Cotton stalks briquetting and pelleting based 30 enterprises are running successfully in Vidharbha region of Maharashtra with about Rs. 120 crore turn-over per annum.
• Face masks (having 3 or 4 layers) with excellent breathability and high filtration efficiency have been prepared from engineered double fabric (100 % cotton) structure.
• India’s first Nano cellulose plant established at ICAR-CIRCOT, Mumbai
• Lac production technologies have been standardized for various hosts such as Flemingia semialata, Ber, Calliandra calothyrsus. C. calothyrsus was found to be a very good host for cultivation of both the strains of lac insect, Kerria lacca..
• Different intercropping models of Flemingia semialata with vegetable crops were developed for both summer and winter season for production of lac along with other crops for effective utilisation of land.
• Pilot plant to make Protein isolate powder established at ICAR-CIPHET, Ludhiana 
• Technology & Machinery Demonstration Mela being organized as an Annual event by the SMD through centres of AICRPs together.

Useful Technologies and Implements Developed Recently

Institutes

AICRPs/AINPs and CRPs