Introduction

Agricultural machines are mostly being manufactured by the small scale manufacturer except established manufacturers of tractors. Testing of Agricultural machinery including tractors is the only solution to make the manufacturers clear about performance and durability of the equipment for proper/efficient utilization along with the technical information available to the farmers for proper selection of the required equipments.

Testing is defined as analysis of behaviour of machine when compared with standard codes/norms under ideal and repeatable conditions. On the other hand evaluation involves measurement of performance under actual field/working conditions. Testing deals with measurement, variation and computation of various indices as per norms prescribed by an authorized institution. Testing of farm machines with a standardized set out procedure has a major role in the judicious selection. Testing provide an important means not only for making an appraisal of an equipment but also for in-building the requisite level of quality by exercising proper checks during production.

Importance of testing:

Testing of a machine means systematic determination of functional performance, structural strength, durability, power requirements and capacity by running the test under a wide range of conditions in the laboratory and field. Testing is useful for all the stakeholders like manufacturers, consumers/farmers, exporters, export inspection agencies as well. How testing is important for 

Manufacturers:

·         Streamlining of production processes and introduction of quality control system.

·         Independent audit of quality control system by BIS

·         Reaping of production economies accruing from standardization

·         Better image of products in the market both internal and overseas

·         Winning for wholesaler’s retailers and stockiest consumer confidence and goodwill

·         Preference for standard marked products by organized purchasers agencies of Central and State government, local bodies, public and private sector undertaking etc. Some organized purchases offer even higher price of standard marked good.

·         Financial incentives offered by the Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI) and nationalized banks.

·         To know where his machine stands in comparison with similar types of machines in the market, and he can improve his product.

·         It enables him to add more information to the technical literature relating to the machine.

Consumer

·         Conformity with Indian standards by an independent technical national level organization.

·         Helps in choosing a standard product

·         Free replacement of standard marked products in case of their being found  to be of substandard quality

·         Protection from exploitation and deception

·         Assurance of safety against hazards to life and properly

·         The knowledge of the comparative performance of similar type of machinery will help the user to choose an appropriate machine to his requirement at the lowest cost

Organized purchasers

·         Convenient basis for concluding contracts

·         Elimination of the need for inspection and testing of goods purchased saving time, labour and money

·         Free replacement of products with Standard Mark found to be substandard

Exporters

·         Exemption from pre-shipment inspection wherever admissible.

·         Convenient basis for concluding export contracts

Export Inspection Authorities

·         Elimination of the need for exhaustive inspection of consignments exported from the country, saving expenditure time and labor.

Authority for testing:

Testing of tractors is being conducted since 1919, when the Nebraska Tractor Test Law took effect in USA. The idea for official tractor testing at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln (UN-L) was started when Polk County farmer purchased a lemon back in 1916. Tractors were something new on the farm then, just beginning to replace real, live, oats-powered horsepower. Farmer bought a “Ford B” tractor to replace his mule team, from the Minneapolis, Minnesota Ford Tractor Company. New purchased tractor gave him so much trouble that he demanded a replacement from the company, but the replacement tractor was no better than earlier one. A representative of every model of tractor rated at 40 horsepower or more sold in USA, must be tested at the Nebraska Tractor Test Laboratory (NTTL) on East Campus. Today, NTTL is the only officially designated agriculture tractor testing lab in the Western Hemisphere, elevated to worldwide status as a sanctioned testing station for the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). There are other active testing facilities in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan and China for instance, but for U.S. farmers and tractor owners, it all comes down to the track of concrete at UN-L. Central Farm Machinery Training and Testing Institute, Budni (MP) is responsible for testing of the locally manufactured tractors in India.

OECD Tractor Codes allow participating countries to perform tractor tests according to harmonized procedures, and to obtain OECD official approvals which facilitate international trade. The codes cover the testing of:

·         Tractor performance – All tested tractors must complete compulsory tests of: engine power output and fuel consumption; drawbar power output and fuel consumption; hydraulic power output; hydraulic lift capacity. In addition, the manufacturer can complete optional test procedures including: braking performance, turning area and turning circle; low temperature starting; centre of gravity location; external noise level; axle power; engine (bench) test); waterproofing test; performance in a hot atmosphere.

·         Noise levels at the operator’s driving position

·         Operator safety – Roll-over Protective Structures (ROPS) and Falling Object Protective Structures (FOPS)

Major testing and evaluation centers in India for Agricultural Machinery

Following organizations are involved in testing of agricultural machinery. But CFMTTI, Budni is involved in tractor testing as a main authority in India.

• Central Farm Machinery Training and Testing Institute, Budni, Madhya Pradesh-
• Northern Region Farm Machinery Training and Testing Institute, Hisar, Harayana 
• Southern Region Farm Machinery Training and Testing Institute, Anantpur, Andhra Pradesh
• Eastern Region Farm Machinery Training and Testing Institute, Biswanath Chariali, Distt. Sonitpur (Assam),
• BIS Testing Laboratory, Sahibabad, Uttar Pradesh
• BIS Centers of Tractor, Power Tiller, Diesel Engine, Electric Motor, Irrigation Pumps
• ICAR Institutes
• Agricultural Universities
• Central Food Technology Research Laboratory, Mysore, Karnataka