Energy Use Pattern in Production Agriculture of Arid Western Rajasthan

Abstract

A detailed study on energy use pattern in production agriculture of arid region for representative villages: Pemasar, district Bikaner; Choukha, district Jodhpur; Siwas, district Pali has been carried out. The data on energy input for cultivating different crops in Choukha village during 1998-99, in Siwas village during 1999-2000 and in Pemasar village during 2000-01 were collected, analyzed and are presented in the paper. For Pemasar village, the average energy output-input ratio for c1usterbean (rainfed and irrigated), moth bean (rainfed and irrigated), and groundnut (irrigated) were 2.1, 0.5, 3.4, 3.5 and 3.0, respectively. Similarly, the energy ratio for wheat, gram, mustard and rocket salad were ·2.1, 1.6, 3.1, and 3.3, respectively. Thus cultivation of moth bean during kharif season and rocket salad and mustard crops during rabi season is more remunerative to the farmers of Zone II compared to other crops. For Choukha village, the average values of energy output-input ratio were 4.8, 6.8, 3.2 and 2.0, respectively, for pearl millet, green gram, wheat and chilly crop suggesting that cultivation of green gram and pearl millet is most remunerative to the farmers of Zone III compared to other crops. Among the crops grown in village Siwas the energy ratio varied from 3.4 to 7.0. Cotton and mustard crops having energy ratio 7.0 and 4.4, respectively, are found to be the most profitable compared to other crops. The crop yield was correlated with energy input in the form of a second-degree polynomial relationship. Optimum input energy levels of some major crops in all three zones have been determined. Contribution of commercial and non-renewable energy sources are much higher than non-commercial and renewable sources in general and during the rabi season in particular. Key words: Energy use in agriculture, arid region, energy requirement, energy ratio, operational energy .