BIS to propose 'test code' for farm machinery

Ludhiana, June 15 (UNI) The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) will soon come out with a 'test code' to evaluate the efficiency of farm machinery particularly combine harvestors.

A meeting held here today between Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) scientists, experts on agricultural implements and BIS debated at length the efficiency and procedures to be adopted for the 'test code'.

The meeting was held at the intiative of BIS, and PAU's college of Agricultural Engineering. Manufacturers of harvestor combines and scientists of the university's department of Farm Power and Machinery held a brain storming session on test codes for these machines.

The purpose of this code is to prepare performance based test data of these machines to enable farmers to take a pick of their choice. Punjab annually produces nearly 4,000 combine harvestors and 6,000 straw combines.

According to PAU machine experts it is difficult to judge the field worthiness and efficiency of combine harvestors and other farm machines in the absence of either any standardised machanism to evaluate their performance or a government agency to inspect combines against any available test code. With the proposed test code now under discussion, it will be easy to evaluate the performance of these machines and improve the production quality, as well, they said.

The meeting was chaired by Hisar based Farm Machinery Training and Testing Institute director V N Kale and was presided over by PAU's department of Farm Power and Machinery head Dr S S Ahuja.

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