Grading Chinese potatoes (koorka) based on their size has for long been a major headache to farmers, given the time and labour charge involved in it. Now, the Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (ICAR-CTCRI) in Thiruvananthapuram has been granted a patent for a power-operated, size-based Chinese potato grader and a method of grading.
The grader, which cuts down labour and cost significantly, works on the principle of rotating motion of the unit through a prime mover. It sorts the tubers into four different size classes; small (below 20 mm diameter), medium (20.1-30 mm), large (30.1-40 mm) and very large (above 40 mm), according to the CTCRI, an institute under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
The patent has been granted by the Indian Patent Office.
