Look Beyond the Obvious
- Tuesday, January 12, 2010, 5:37
Your Innovation
The Self Propelled Three Row Potato Seeding Device for Restricted Land Holdings performs the tasks of digging furrows at proper depths for planting potatoes, planting the seed potatoes at the proper depth and providing soil cover for the protection and eventual germination of the seeds. The device comprises a Seed Hopper for accommodating seed potatoes, three Seed Cups that distribute the seed potatoes along three rows, a diesel engine as the prime mover for self propulsion, a set of traction wheels at the front, a set of Balance Wheels at the rear, three sets of metallic Wings for providing soil cover after the plantation of the seeds and three Digging Blades for providing the proper depth. Propulsion is provided by the diesel engine (5HP-12.5HP) via a reduction gear box to the traction wheels. A part of the power provided to the traction wheels is fed back to rotate a shaft on which are mounted the seed cups. As the shaft rotates, the individual cups pick up the seed potatoes and distributes them along the three furrows.
The row to row distance is adjustable between 18” and 26” for accommodating different varieties of potatoes. The device provides a depth of cut that varies between 6” and 9” for different potato varieties. With proper design retrofit, the device can be made to dig furrows up to 12” in depth for the production of certain varieties of potatoes such as Atlanta, etc.
Your Innovation to the World
The primary attraction of the device is that it helps in drastically reducing the time required for planting of potatoes, as it appropriately mechanizes the three main functions required for sowing. The device simultaneously creates irrigation furrows for subsequent irrigation. It has been estimated that use of this device can afford savings up to 80% in the labour cost and up to 75% in the time required for sowing potatoes.
The Beginning
The idea for the product owes its genesis in the course of the long experience I have in potato farming practices prevalent in the small land holdings of West Bengal, which is the second largest producer of potato in India. I had noted that all seeding devices available in the country are actually tractor driven, which makes its use restricted in smaller land holdings of West Bengal due to the lack of manoeuvrability. There was this inner compulsion to develop a device for reducing labour and time for seeding and increasing yield. I may modestly claim that I have a track record of innovating similar devices, which I fabricates in my own small workshop and put these on trial through different farmers. I have innovated a Rotavator of unique design and characteristics, which is in the process of being patented. The idea was tried out in practice through the development of a rudimentary model through retrofit and salvage utilization, and the initial results are encouraging.
Your Journey So Far
Hailing from a farmer family, I had obtained a degree in Science, but had decided not to opt for service after graduation, but to dedicate myself to the introduction of modern farming practices. This led to the eventual opening of my firm – the New Bengal Agro Implements – where I spent more than two decades innovating new and appropriate farming devices. I may modestly state that I have a strong innovative bent of mind and with the help of the rudimentary workshop, I try to innovate on product designs and fabricate prototypes for innovative agricultural implements and farming devices. I am exposed to the trends in modern mechanized agricultural practices and I keep myself updated with regular internet searches, etc.
Support From The TePP
My association with the Farm Machinery development Group of the Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, Durgapur dates back has been for more than five years and I have worked with this Group for development of different agricultural devices. It was through this Group that I received the invitation to take part in the Innovator’s Meet organized by TUC-CMERI, Durgapur in March 2009. The device I had innovated impressed many Scientists of the Institute with whom I interacted furing the Meet. Eventually, TUC-CMERI came forward then and it was through them that I submitted my project for Phase I of TePP Funding, which finally received the DSIR approval and funding.
My association with TePP has helped me in two ways. First I had funding for trying out my ideas. The second is the opportunity of being mentored and helped by the Scientists of CMERI, Durgapur. My exposure to the high level of expertise available at this national Institute has helped me in innovating on product design, mechanism design, etc. Now I also have the chance to analyse the performance of the device even before it hits the prototype stage.
Advice to aspiring innovators
Innovation is 15% inspiration and the rest perspiration. Have faith in your innovation, and eventually you are bound to succeed.
