Department of Agricultural and Food Engineering

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About the Department[edit | edit source]

The Agricultural and Food Engineering Department was established in 1952, as the Agricultural Engineering Department on the recommendation of the Dhar Committee appointed by the Board of Governors, IIT Kharagpur in 1950. Subsequently on the upgradation of its academic programme, the department was renamed as the Agricultural and Food Engineering Department in 1994. Among the sixteen IITs, IIT Kharagpur has the sole distinction of having an Agricultural and Food Engineering Department.It conducts annual fest named Prakriti to create a platform for sharing ideas about agricultural developments from all over the country.[1]


Achievements [2][edit | edit source]

Tractor drawn combination tillage implements[edit | edit source]

Tractor drawn combination tillage implements are developed which can prepare the seed bed with less time, fuel and number of passes as compared to conventional tractor drawn tillage implements.

Educational and design software[edit | edit source]

The department has developed a few window - based interactive software packages for use as teaching and research tools. These include Decision Support System for estimating Reference Crop Evapotranspiration (DSS_ET), Hydrologic Calculator to perform various hydrologic analyses and Soil Conservation Structure Designer to design various soil conservation structures. DSS_ET includes more than 20 ET estimation methods. It estimates ET and ranks applicable ET estimation methods based on data availability and climatic condition.

Improved device for wet soil preparation[edit | edit source]

The traditional method of rice cultivation in wet soil requires 5-6 times ploughing by bullocks. The time and energy spent by man and animal has been found to be greatly reduced by the use of IIT Puddler. The machine can be pulled by a pair of bullocks and can cover 1 hectare area in a day.

Mechanized production of Indian milk sweets[edit | edit source]

Products like �Chhana', is the base material used for preparation of several Indian sweets like rasogolla and sandesh. A technology has been developed for continuous production of chhana by using helical tube heat exchangers and a whey separator. Sandesh, a delicious milk-sweet can be produced continuously by using a screw kneader and a vented single screw extruder. Untouched by human hand, the product attains greater shelf-life than those available in markets.

Tea cultivation in non-traditional area[edit | edit source]

Tea is conventionally cultivated in sloping lands and foothills. The department has developed technology to successfully cultivate tea in plain lands and wastelands by adopting appropriate land slope, drainage, plantation of shade trees and pressurized irrigation. With these management practices tea can be grown in lateritic plains and wastelands.

Improved tractor seat[edit | edit source]

A tractor seat having 18.9 N.mm-1 spring constant and 1.09 N.s.mm-1 damping coefficient has been found to reduce significantly the vibration and bring comfort to the operator. The seat has been field tested and recommended for Indian tractors.

Low-cost polyhouse technology[edit | edit source]

Polyhouse has been constructed for cultivation of off-season crops at controlled temperature, humidity and carbon dioxide inside the structure as per the requirement of the crops. The house can also be used to raise seedlings of vegetables and flowers. It is made of locally available bamboo and GI poles, mild steel flats and ultra-violet stabilized plastic films.

Air-recirculatory tray dryer for fruits and vegetables[edit | edit source]

In an air-recirculatory dryer, a part of the exhaust air is recycled along with the ambient air. This gives higher thermal efficiency and produces dry products having low surface hardness and improved colour and flavor characteristics. The developed dryer can produce 2-3 kg dry products in about 6-7 hours. The technology has been transferred to SSP Ltd., Faridabad.

Recycling of waste into compost[edit | edit source]

Waste materials generated from agricultural, forest, aquatic, domestic and industrial sources are recycled and converted into compost. Different microorganisms such as fungi, bacteria and earthworms have been used as compost accelerators. The technology has already been transferred to Shewood Agrotech to commercially produce solid Vermicompost and liquid Vermiwash.

Biodiesel production from non-edible oils[edit | edit source]

A suitable process along with a processor has been developed to produce biodiesel from nonedible oils such as Jatropha, Karanja, Mahua, Simaruba with high free fatty acids. The processor comprised a reactor, chemical mixing tank and a settling funnel and it can handle 10 liters of oil per batch. The yield of biodiesel is around 98% and the fuel properties of biodiesel so produced are within the biodiesel standards prescribed by India, America and Europe.

Microbial enzymes in food[edit | edit source]

Various technologies are developed and transferred to use microbial enzymes for clarification of apple juice, debittering of pomegranate juice and polishing of germinated brown rice.


Research & Development Facilities[3][edit | edit source]

Farm Machinery & Power[edit | edit source]

The discipline has developed modern Tillage & Traction lab, Tractor testing lab, Ergonomics lab and Biofuel lab. These labs are equipped with modern Data acquisition system, Gould recorder, Torque pick up, Breath analyser, Ergometers, Microprocessor based engine test facilities, Sound and vibration equipment, Operator work place simulator, Gasifier etc.

Land and Water Resources Engineering[edit | edit source]

The discipline has developed Irrigation and drainage lab, Surface and groundwater hydrology lab, Remote sensing lab and a unique Field water management laboratory. These labs are equipped with Hydrology study system, Agrimultimeter, Ground truth radiometer, Micro-irrigation equipment test set-up, Overland flow hydraulic flume, Pump testing rig, Automatic weather station, Rainfall simulator, Ion-chromatography as well as with various softwares: ANSWERS, AGNPS, SWAT, MIKE SHE, IDRISI, Arc-VIEW, SNNS etc.

Food Process Engineering[edit | edit source]

The discipline has developed vacuum dryers, recircualroty tray dryer, single screw extruder, rising film and scrapped surface evaporator, UHT milk sterilizer, aseptic packaging machine, continuous chhana, paneer and sandesh making machines and energy efficient ovens. The laboratories of this discipline are equipped with Karl Fisher titrator, freeze dryer, spray dryer, plate freezer, high pressure dairy homogenizer, laboratory evaporator and distillation column. The discipline has also acquired a state-of-the art High pressure food processing system, Prototype Satake rice mill and developed Dairy engineering lab, Physical and Thermal properties lab, Drying lab, Grain testing and grading lab, Product development lab, Food engineering lab, Food science & technology lab and Food packaging lab. These labs are equipped with Differential scanning calorimetry, Thermo gravimetric analyzer, Rheotron, Instron universal testing machine, Atomic absorption spectrophotometer, Microprocessor based single screw extruder, Twin screw lab compounder, CA storage system, Super critical fluid extraction system, Colorimeter, Texture analyzer, Micro-pulverizer, Brabender wheat mill, etc.

Aquacultural Engineering[edit | edit source]

The discipline has developed Aquacultural Engineering lab, Water quality management lab, Aqua processing lab, Fish culture and Fish biology lab. These labs are equipped with Single screw extruder, Twin Screw Extruder, Retort system for ready to eat foods. Power measurement panel, Variable speed drive system with Thyrister controlled unit, UV Spectrophotometer, Kjeldhal nitrogen analyzer, Multi parameter water quality monitoring system, Microprocessor based water analyzing kit, Ion meter, Advanced research microscope, Microbiological analysis facilities, Aerator testing facility, Recirculatory aquaculture system etc.

Agricultural Biotechnology[edit | edit source]

The discipline has developed microbial biotechnology lab, Tissue culture and cryo-biology lab, Algal biotechnology lab and Natural product biotechnology lab. These laboratories are equipped with Laminar flow cabinets, Plant and algal culture facilities, Growth chambers, BOD incubators, Koji room facility, Fuorescent, Phase contrast and light microscopes with digital photographic facilities, Refrigerated centrifuges, Cryo-med with planer, Vacuum rotary evaporators, VA tracer analyzer, Freeze dryers, Deep freezers, UV-Vis spectrophotometers, Deionized water purification facilities, Electrophoresis units, PCR work station, Gradient thermocycler, Gel documentation unit, Transilluminator, Vacuum rotary concentrator, GC, HPLC, GC-MS/MS, LC-MS/MS, etc.

Soil Science[edit | edit source]

The discipline has developed Soil physics lab and Plant nutrition lab. These labs are equipped with Pressure plate apparatus, Neutron moisture meter, Depth moisture and density probe, Steady state porometer, Laboratorium permeameter, Growth chamber, Leaf water status console, Spectrocolorimeter, Double beam spectrophotometer, Ion meter, Soil testing equipment etc.

Agronomy[edit | edit source]

The discipline has developed Agronomy lab, Biofertilizer lab. and Tea engineering lab. These labs are equipped with Atomic absorption spectrophotometer, Flame photometer, Gas-liquid chromatography, Leaf area meter, Laminar air flow cabinet, Colorimeter, GC, HPLC, etc.


On-Going Sponsored Research Projects [4][edit | edit source]

» All India coordinated research project on ergonomics & safety in agriculture, ICAR, New Delhi.
» Characterization of soil reflectance in the visible and near-infrared region for the iron-rich soils of Eastern India. DST, New Delhi.
» All India coordinated research project on farm implements and machinery, ICAR, New Delhi.
» All India coordinated research project on harvest and post harvest technology, ICAR, New Delhi.
» Climate change & rice-based crop production system of eastern & south eastern India: Impact assessment & risk Management through simulation study, CSIR, New Delhi and Centre for Mathematical Modelling & Computer Simulation, Bangalore.
» A value chain on aloe vera processing, National Agricultural Innovation Project, ICAR, New Delhi.
» Development of a GIS based decision support system for irrigation system management, INCID, New Delhi.
» Agro-meteorology advisory services, Ministry of Earth Sciences, New Delhi.
» Development of an automatic vegetable transplanter with technology for paper pot seedlings, CSIR, New Delhi.
» Biodepolymerization of low-grade ligniteto biomethane and humic acid, ONGC, New Delhi.
» Development of biotechnology based process for water reduction in potato processing, TIFAC, Department of Science & Technology, New Delhi.
» Impact assessment of MGNREGA in one district of Madhya Pradesh (Mandla) & West Bengal (Paschim Medinipur), MORD, New Delhi.
» Development of cage for mariculture through numerical and physical modeling. Ministry of Earth Sciences, New Delhi.
» Integration of rainwater harvesting and climate resilient agriculture in sustaining productivity and profitability of rainfed agro-climatic zones of Eastern India, ICAR, CRIDA, NICRA, Hyderabad.
» Ensemble modeling of rainfall-runoff transformation process, INCOH, New Delhi.
» Interdisciplinary network for holistic environment system analysis, eco-system services, integrated modelling and sustainable resources management (INNO-ASIA)", German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
» Elucidating Fragrant Methoxybenzaldehyde Biosynthesis in hairy root/normal root cultures of Hemidesmus Indicus, DAE, BRNS, Mumbai.
» Land use land cover dynamics in relation to human dimension and climate in Mahanadi river basin, Orissa�, Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Department of Space.
» Flood inundation zoning for different return periods in Mahanadi river basin, INCOH, New Delhi.
» Modelling the performance of a few major cropping systems in eastern India on the light of projected climate change, National Agricultural Innovation Project, ICAR, New Delhi


On-Going Consultancy Projects [5][edit | edit source]

» Crop diversification in Darjeeling, Sampad Vikas Ltd., Kolkata.
» Construction of periphery road at Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Pvt. Ltd., Salboni, West Bengal.
» Design of irrigation projects for Binpur-I and Binpur-II blocks, District Magistrate, Paschim Medinipur.
» Design of chassis parameters for 24 hp small tractor, TMTL, Bhopal.
» Drawbar performance of 24 hp small tractor, TMTL, Bhopal.
» Evaluation of antioxidant potential, synergistic behaviour and stability of Rosemary and Sage extracts, Synthite Industries Ltd. Kochi, Kerala.
» Evaluation of probable maximum flood for Nagarjun Sagar Dam, Irrigation and CAD, AP.
» Groundwater assessment and recharge analysis software, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur.
» Integrated composite anthropometer, Various Agencies.
» Performance evaluation of ploughs (prototype), National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, Kolkata
» Performance evaluation of power weeder and vertical conveyer reaper, Bengal Tools Limited, Kolkata.
» Preservation of fresh betel leaves cultivated in and around Midnapore districts, Sreekrishna cold storage, Purba Medinipur.
» Rainwater harvesting at aluminium refinery, NALCO, Damanjodi.
» Rainwater harvesting, reuse and groundwater recharge, Aarti Steels Ltd. Orissa.
» Soil and water quality management of Tata Steel, The Tata Iron and Steel Company Limited, Jamshedpur.
» Technical clarifications of CPHEEO Manual, Mohindra Tubes Pvt. LTD. Jalpaiguri, West Bengal.
» TPIA for creation of teaching laboratories for NIFTEM, IICPT, Ministry of Food Processing Industries, New Delhi.

Faculty Directory[edit | edit source]

Name Designation Phone Office Phone (Res) Phone (Res [p]) E-mail

Office

282243


Head

282244


PHE

282287


Banerjee Rintu

Professor

283104

283105

277073

rb @ agfe.iitkgp.ernet.in


Bhadoria P B S

Professor

283106

283107

278044

pbsb @ agfe.iitkgp.ernet.in


Chatterjee C

Professor

283158

283159

cchatterjee @ agfe.iitkgp.ernet.in


Das B S

Professor

283162

283163

bsdas @ agfe.iitkgp.ernet.in


Das M

Associate Professor

283108

283113

madhu @ agfe.iitkgp.ernet.in


Das S K

Professor

283112

283113

278224

skd @ agfe.iitkgp.ernet.in


Datta A K

Professor

283118

283119

277772

akd @ agfe.iitkgp.ernet.in


Dutta Gupta S

Professor

283114

283115

278261

sdg @ agfe.iitkgp.ernet.in


Ghosh B C

Professor

283120

283121

bcg @ agfe.iitkgp.ernet.in


ZamWQ >Goswami T K

Professor

283122

283123

277362

tkg @ agfe.iitkgp.ernet.in


Guha P

Assistant Professor

283124

283125

pguha @ agfe.iitkgp.ernet.in


Jha M K

Professor

283116

283117

madan @ agfe.iitkgp.ernet.in


Machavaram R

Visiting Professor

283126

283127

rajendra @ agfe.iitkgp.ernet.in


Mailapalli D R

Assistant Professor

283102

283103

mailapalli @ agfe.iitkgp.ernet.in


Mallick N

Professor

283166

283167

279729

nm @ agfe.iitkgp.ernet.in


Mishra A

Associate Professor

283890

283891

amishra @ agfe.iitkgp.ernet.in


Mishra H N

Professor

283130

283131

279724

hnm @ agfe.iitkgp.ernet.in


Mitra Adinpunya

Professor

283168

283169

277061

adin @ agfe.iitkgp.ernet.in


Mitra Arunabha

Associate Professor

283132

278158

arunabha @ agfe.iitkgp.ernet.in


Mitra J

Assistant Professor

283142

283143

jayeeta.mitra @ agfe.iitkgp.ernet.in


Mukherjee C K

Assistant Professor

283136

283137

277537

ckm @ agfe.iitkgp.ernet.in


Panda R K

Professor

283138

283139

rkpanda @ agfe.iitkgp.ernet.in


Panda S N

Professor

283140

283141

278686

snp @ agfe.iitkgp.ernet.in


Raghuwanshi N S

Professor

283146

283147

220118

nsr @ agfe.iitkgp.ernet.in


Raheman Hifjur

Professor

283160

283161

279239

hifjur @ agfe.iitkgp.ernet.in


Rao P Srinivasa

Associate Professor

283164

283165

psrao @ agfe.iitkgp.ernet.in


Shrivastava S L

Assistant Professor

283172

283173

278105

sls @ agfe.iitkgp.ernet.in


Singh R

Dean, UGS

283148

283149

rsingh @ agfe.iitkgp.ernet.in


Srivastav P P

Associate Professor

283134

283135

pps @ agfe.iitkgp.ernet.in


Swain D K

Associate Professor

283170

283171

swain @ agfe.iitkgp.ernet.in


Tewari V K

Professor

283152

283153

277855

vktfeb @ agfe.iitkgp.ernet.in


Thomas E V

Professor

283154

283155

vareed @ agfe.iitkgp.ernet.in


Tiwari K N

Professor

283150

283151

277769

kamlesh @ agfe.iitkgp.ernet.in


Tripathy P Punam

Assistant Professor

283174

282911

punam @ agfe.iitkgp.ernet.in


Agri. Extension Cell

281313


Agricultural Biotechnology

281312


Agriculture Farm

281310


Agronomy, Main Bldg

281311


Aqua Bio Lab

281315


Aquacultural Engg

281314


Byproduct Utilization Lab

69942


Computer Lab

281316


Dairy/Food Engg

281318


Down Stream Processing

281319


Drying Lab

281320


Energy Engg

281321


Entomology Lab

69941


Exam Control Room

281099


Farm Machinery Shed

281322


Food Engg Lab

69939


Food Packaging & Testing

281317


Food Chemistry & Technology Lab

281323


Food Science & Tech. Lab.

281674


G.L.C., Res.Bldg

281324


Grain Processing Unit

281337


Grading-Quality

281325


IRFP-Training Centre

281673


Image Processing Lab

69940


Library

281327


Microbial Biotechnology

281328


P B Cryobiology

281329


PHT Scheme

281326


PHTC Store

69944


Physical Properties Lab

281341


Remote Sensing Lab

69948


Research Bldg

281330


Rice Mill

281331


RTE Food Laboratory

69808


RTE Food Pilot Scale Unit

281357


Soil Conservation

281333


Soil and Water Engg Lab

281334


Soil Science Lab

281332


Soil Water Conservation

281335


Store

281336


Test Shed

281337


Thermal Analysis Lab

69949


Thermal Properties Lab

69945


Tissue Culture

281338


Work Shop

281339


Workshop AgFE

69946


Plant Nutrition Lab

69943




References[edit | edit source]