Z O N A L   R E S E A R C H   C E N T R E

Agricultural Engineering College and Research Institute

Coimbatore - 641 003, Tamil Nadu, India

General

Zonal Research Centre which is a constituent department of Agricultural Engineering College and Research Institute, TNAU, Coimbatore located at the western side of the University has 4 scientific, 22 technical and 6 administrative and supporting staff with a mandate to conduct research and development on farm implements and machinery for different agro-climatic regions, prototype production, feasibility testing and promotion of manufacturers through industrial extension and introduction and popularization of improved farm equipments in the farmers’ holdings and research stations through prototype feasibility testing and front line demonstration.

Genesis of Zonal Research Centre

1960:  Formation of Research, Testing and Training Centre (RTTC) funded   by Govt. of India

1971:  Formation of Zonal Research Centre by upgrading RTTC 

1972:  Component Prototype Manufacturing Scheme (PMS) added to ZRC

1974:  Both the above schemes were merged as ICAR Co-ordinated scheme and transferred to the College of Agricultural Engineering, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore

1979:  Prototype Feasibility Test Centre (PFTC) with Artisans Training programme was added to the centre

1986:  All the above activities were merged and renamed as All India Co-ordinated Research Project on Farm Implements and Machinery (AICRP on FIM)

1991:  Frontline demonstration programme added to the centre 

Mandate  of the centre

To conduct research and development on farm implements and machinery for different agro-climatic regions, prototype production, feasibility testing and promotion of manufacturing through industrial extension and introduction and popularization of improved farm equipments with the specific objectives as detailed below:

i.       Identification of mechanization gaps for future research

ii.    Design, develop and adopt farm implements and machines

iii.  Conducting prototype feasibility testing 

iv.  Prototype Manufacturing of implements in large quantity

v.     Educating farmers on the use and maintenance of implements

vi.  Training the  village artisans on the fabrication techniques

vii. Establishment of linkages with manufacturers.