Energy audit of farm equipment

Abstract

Total energy inputs in machinery and other farm equipment are assessed. Included are fixed energy costs of crop production on small, medium, and large canal-irrigated farms. The operational energy costs of growing a ha of wheat crop on farms of different sizes have also been computed. The total fixed energy inputs per cropped ha on a small farm are about 4.5 million kcal; about 1.9 million kcal are required on medium-sized farms and 1.2 million kcal on large farms. The total energy costs for using farm equipment for 1 ha of wheat crop are 4.8, 2.2, and 2.4 million kcal on small, medium, and large farms, respectively. Medium-sized farms are now the most energy-efficient; by replacing bullocks by tractors and related equipment, large farms will become most efficient.