Energy in Production Agriculture

Anticipating major upward shift in the energy demand and energy use pattern in the agriculture sector, the Indian Council of Agriculture Research in the year 1970-71 decided to initiate a multi-locational project in the form of a coordinated research project in the form of a coordinated research project entitled “Energy Requirements in Intensive Agricultural Production. General objectives of the project include energy audit of prevailing practices, indentification of available energy uses and development of energy efficient powermachinery packages for production agriculture, post-harvest operations and rural living. Specific objectives of the project are as follows;.(i) to carry out energy audit of crop production, livestock husbandry, post-harvest activities and rural living on areas basis; (2) to carry out in-depth studies in energy of different operations and identify wasteful uses of energy; (3) to develop energy efficient farm-power machinery packages and management practices which reduce dependence on commercial energies supplementing and substituting with alternate energy sources in production agriculture at different levels of productivity with least energy input cost, post-harvest activities and rural living; (4) to bring out recommendations of interest to policy makers, farmers and researchers that conserve energy requirements of the rural sector; (5) to field by recommendations for verification and demonstration for benefit of potential users; and (6) to disseminate information regarding energy management in agriculture. It is likely to prove an extremely useful book not only to the agricultural scientists but also to all those interested in the advancement of agriculture , including farmers.