LPM 121: Fodder Production and Grassland Management (1+1)

SOURCES OF FARM POWER

• There are different sources of farm power in India which are classificatied as
  • Human power
  • Animal power
  • Mechanical power (Tractors + Power tillers + Oil engines)
  • Electrical power
  • Renewable energy (Biogas + Solar energy + Wind energy)

Human power

• Human power is the main source for operating small implements and tools at the farm. Stationary work like chaff cutting, lifting, watering, threshing, winnowing etc are done by manual labour.
• An average person can develop maximum power of about 0.1 hp for doing farm work.

Animal power

• Power developed by an average pair of bullocks is about 1 hp for usual farm work. Bullocks are employed for all types of farm work in all seasons.
• Besides bullocks, other animals like camels, buffaloes, horses, donkeys, mules and elephants are also used at some places. The average force a draft animal can exert is nearly one-tenth of its body weight.

Mechanical power

• Broadly speaking, mechanical power includes stationary oil engines, tractors and power tillers. Internal combustion engine is a good device for converting fuel into useful work. These engines are two types
  • Diesel engine and
  • Petrol or Kerosene engine.
• The thermal efficiency of diesel engine varies from 32 to 38 per cent whereas that of petrol engine varies from 25 to 32 per cent.
• In modern days, almost all the tractors and power tillers are operated by diesel. Oil engines are used for pumping water, flour, mills, oil ghanis, cotton gins, chaff cutter, sugarcane crusher, threshers, winnowers etc.

Electrical power

• Electrical power is used mostly in the form of electrical motors on the farms. Motor is a very useful machine for farmers. It is clean, quest 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 pumping sets, diary industry, cold storage, farm product processing, fruit industry and many similar things.

Renewable energy

• It is the energy mainly obtained from business sun and wind. Biogas energy, wind energy and solar energy are used in agriculture and domestic purposes with suitable devices.
• It can be used for lighting, cooking, water heating, space heating, water distillation, food processing, water pumping, diesel engine operation anmd electric generation. This type of energy is inexhaustible in nature.