In this article we will discuss about the sources and status of farm power in India.
Sources of Farm Power:
There are different sources of farm power in India which are classified as below:
1. Human Power:
Human power is an important source of operating the following:
i. Small tools and implements
ii. Chaff cutter
iii. Water lifting devices
iv. Threshers
v. Winnower and many other devices
A strong man can develop maximum power of about 75 watts (about 0.1 hp) for doing farm work.
The average human power availability in sustained working is as follows:
(i) Male – 60 watts (0.06 kW)
(ii) Female – 48 watts (0.048 kW)
(iii) Children – 30 watts (0.030 kW)
2. Draught Animals:
Power availability from draught animals is related to its body weight.
On the basis of body weight, draught animals are classified as follows:
i. Small – (200 to 300 kg)
ii. Medium – (301 to 400 kg)
iii. Large – (401 to 500 kg)
iv. Heavy – (Above 500 kg)
Power available from draught animal is related to its body weight are as follows:
i. Bullocks – About 10% of body weight
ii. Buffaloes – About 12% of body weight
iii. Camels – About 18% of body weight
iv. Donkeys – About 32% of body weight
Bullock power is considered as:
(i) Versatile.
(ii) Dependable source of power.
(iii) Used in sun, rain under muddy and rough field condition.
(iv) Bullocks are born and reared in the village system.
(v) They eat feed and fodder available locally.
(vi) They are ideal for rural transport where roads are not good.
(vii) They save petroleum products.
(viii) Their dung and urine supply, farm yard manure and biogas.
3. Mechanical Power:
Mechanical Power means power coming from machines.
It may be classified into following:
(I) Tractors
(II) Power tillers
These engines are of two types:
(i) Diesel engine
(ii) Petrol or kerosene engine
Thermal efficiency of diesel engine varies from 32 to 38 percent, where as that of petrol engine varies from 25 to 32 percent. In modern days, almost all tractors and power tillers are fitted with diesel engine.
Stationary oil engines are used for:
(a) Pumping water
(b) Flour mill
(c) Oilghanis
(d) Cotton gins
(e) Chaff cutter
(f) Sugarcane crusher
(g) Thresher
(h) Winnower
(i) And many such equipments
(I) Tractor:
Tractors are available in following classes, depending upon horsepower (hp):
(a) 20 to 30 hp – About 25% of the total production of tractors in India.
(b) 31 to 40 hp – About 60% of total production of tractors in India.
(c) 41 and above – About 15% of total production of tractors in India.
Tractor production started in India in 1961. The first tractor manufacturer “M/S Eicher Goodearth” Produced “Eicher” tractors at Faridabad.
Average command area of a tractor (26.1 kw) is about fifteen hectares. For calculating power availability from tractor on the farm, a weighted average of 26.1 kw power per tractor is considered.
(II) Power Tiller:
There are about six models in the range of 5.97 to 8.95 kw (8 to 12 hp) in India.
For calculating power availability from power tiller on the farm, a weighted average of 7 kw per unit is considered. Average command area of a power tiller (7.46 kw) is five hectares, where one pair of bullock can command about two hectares only.
4. Electrical Power:
Electrical power is used mostly in the form of electrical motors on the farms. Motor is very useful machine for farmers. It is clean, quiet and smooth running. Its maintenance and operation needs less attention and care. The operating cost remains almost constant throughout its life. Electrical power is used for water pumping dairy industry, cold storage, farm product processing, fruit industry, poultry industry and many similar things for farmers.
Renewable Energy:
It is the energy mainly obtained from biomass, sun and wind. Biomass energy, wind energy and solar energy are used in agricultural and domestic purposes with suitable devices. It can be used for lighting, cooking, water heating, water distillation, food processing, water pumping, diesel engine operation with supplementary fuel and electrical generation on small scale. Renewable energy is inexhaustible in nature.
Merits and Demerits of Different Forms of Power:
A. Human Power:
Merit:
i. Easily available
ii. Very low efficiency
Demerit:
i. Costly power compared to all other forms of power
ii. Very low efficiency
iii. Requires full maintenance when not in use
iv. Affected by weather condition and season.
B. Animal Power:
Merit:
i. Easily available
ii. Used for all types of work
iii. Low initial investment
iv. Supplies manures to the field and fuels to the farmers
v. Lives on farm products
Demerit:
i. Not very efficient
ii. Season and weather affect the efficiency
iii. Cannot work at a stretch
iv. Requires full maintenance when not in use
v. Creates unhealthy and dirty atmosphere near the residence
vi. Very slow in doing work
C. Mechanical Power:
Merit:
i. Efficiency is high
ii. Not affected by weather
iii. Cannot work at a stretch
iv. Requires less space
v. Cheaper form of power
Demerit:
i. Initial capital investment is high
ii. Fuel is costly
iii. Repairs and maintenance needs technical knowledge
D. Electrical Power:
Merit:
i. Very cheap form of power
ii. High efficiency
iii. Can work at a stretch
iv. Maintenance and operating cost is very low
v. Not affected by season
Demerit:
i. Initial capital investment is high
ii. Requires good technical knowledge
iii. If handled carelessly, it causes great danger
Status of Farm Power in India:
Farm power is an important input in agriculture which helps in timely field operation by operating different types of farm equipment and stationary machines such as:
(i) Threshers
(ii) Shellers
(iii) Cleaners
(iv) Graders
(v) Irrigation equipments
(vi) Post harvest equipments
Agriculture is the most important sector of Indian economy Most of the farming is done on small holdings. About 75% farm holding belong to small and marginal farmers, about 25% belong to semi, medium and large farm holders. Draft animals and farm workers are important sources of farm power.
Increasing farm power is strongly influenced by following factors:
(a) Farm size
(b) Cost of farm labour
(c) Availability of suitable machines
(d) Pressing need of farmers and socio economic compulsions of local people to have custom hiring services.
The farming system continues to utilize manual labour, animal power and tractor based technology in almost all operations. Agricultural machinery and implements are capable of doing field operations of better quality and in lesser time.
The economic progress of a nation depends directly upon availability of energy and its consumption for fruitful utilization. Increased energy input in agriculture directly or indirectly increase the production of crops. It is an established fact that inadequacy of power and machinery results in poor yield in general.
In order to bring more land under cultivation and to improve productivity, it is necessary to introduce other sources of power like tractors, power tillers, oil engines, self-propelled machines, electric motors and renewable energy (specially wind mills for water pumping). More and more application of these devices call for more and more machinery to carry out the required operations in a short period.
Average Command Area:
(i) One pair of draught animals – 2 ha
(ii) Power tiller (7.46 kw) – 5ha
(iii) Tractor (26.1 kw) – 15ha
For 1000 hectares of cultivated land, the bullocks, power tiller and tractors are generally required as follows:
(i) Bullocks- 500 pairs
(ii) Power tiller- 200
(iii) Tractor- 67
Studies have shown that about 54% energy in crop production comes from direct sources like:
(i) Mechanical power
(ii) Electrical power
(iii) Human power
(iv) Draught animals
The remaining 46% power comes from indirect sources like:
(i) Fertilizers
(ii) Chemicals
(iii) Seeds
(iv) Farm yard manure
Operation wise, irrigation takes the maximum energy followed by harvesting, threshing, tillage, transport, sowing weeding, fertilizer application, spraying and post-harvest operations.
Since the cultivated area cannot be increased, the increased production will be possible only by increased productivity and increased intensity of cropping. This will call for precision farming and timely farm operations. This requires high capacity machines and precision equipments for better farming. Farm power availability will have to be increased substantially for profitable farming.
I.C.A.R. project requirements of food grains and farm power for the year 2020 are as follows:
1. Production of grains – 2300 kg/ha
2. Farm power – 2 kw/ha
Draught animal is going down day by day hence additional requirement of farm power has to come from mechanical and electrical sources.
It is visualized that by 2020, the power position will be as follows:
(i) Animate power (Human + Animal) – 0.1 kw/ha
(ii) Mechanical power- 1.4kw/ha
(iii) Electrical power – 0.5 kw/ha
(iv) Total power – 2 kw/ha