Farm Power in India &
Mechanization
Lecture Notes Presentation
Introduction
• Farm power is crucial for timely field
operations.
• Essential for increasing production and
productivity.
• Used for tillage, planting, protection,
harvesting, and processing.
Sources of Farm Power
• Human power
• Animal power
• Mechanical power
• Electrical power
• Renewable energy
Human Power
• Main source for operating small implements
and tools.
• Used for lifting water, threshing, winnowing,
etc.
• Average power: about 0.1 hp.
Animal Power
• Average pair of bullocks develop about 1 hp.
• Used for all types of farm work in all seasons.
• Other animals: camels, buffaloes, horses,
donkeys, etc.
Mechanical Power
• Includes tractors, power tillers, stationary
engines.
• Internal combustion engines: petrol and
diesel.
• Diesel engines widely used for pumps, mills,
cutters, etc.
• High efficiency: diesel (32-38%), petrol (25-
32%).
Electrical Power
• Used mostly as electric motors.
• Clean, quiet, smooth, and low operating cost.
• Applications: water pumping, dairy, cold
storage, processing.
Renewable Energy
• Sources: solar, wind, biomass, tidal,
geothermal.
• Applications: lighting, cooking, heating, water
pumping.
• Inexhaustible and environment-friendly.
Merits & Demerits
• Human: Easily available, low efficiency.
• Animal: Manure supply, slow work.
• Mechanical: High efficiency, costly fuel.
• Electrical: Cheap, needs technical knowledge.
• Renewable: Inexhaustible, requires
investment.
Concept of Farm Mechanization
• Application of engineering to agriculture.
• Aims to increase yield and efficiency.
• Includes tools, tractors, motors, processing
equipment.
Scope of Mechanization
• Improved irrigation, high yielding varieties.
• Proper input utilization, weed removal, land
leveling.
• Reduces hard work, increases leisure and
income.
Benefits of Mechanization
• Timely operations and precision.
• Better work environment and safety.
• Reduced labor drudgery and crop losses.
• Higher productivity and economic returns.
Constraints in Mechanization
• Small land holdings, low investment capacity.
• Lack of suitable machines and repair facilities.
• High machine cost and lack of trained
manpower.
• Coordination gaps between research and
manufacturers.
Review Questions
• 1. The cheapest source of energy is ______.
• 2. Power available from a farm laborer is
_____ hp.
• 3. Solar energy is a _____ energy.
• 4. State merits & demerits of energy sources.
Thank You
• Questions & Answers
