Dryland Production System Modules for Energy Conservation And Sustainability In Western Agroclimatic Zone (WACZ) Of Tamil Nadu

Abstract

To achieve effective use available natural resources, agricultural output must be evaluated using energy budgeting. Consistent increases in agricultural energy use—in the form of fossil fuels, fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides, machinery, and so on—have raised environmental and public health concerns. Thus, in order to evaluate the flow matrix of a farm, this study considers the use of inputs such as seeds, fertiliser, manures, labour, electricity, water, food, feed, and machinery usage within the production systems. Identifying the energy usage help to achieve the farm sustainability earlier. The determents that influence the energy efficiency were founded by using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The experimental observation was made on 0.8 ha marginal farm field. The energy indices were used to find the energy efficiency in farm field. In the study, total energy input in the marginal production system model was calculated to be 35 GJ, whereas total energy output, net energy gain and energy profitability was recorded to be 77 GJ, 20 GJ and 0.0009 GJ, respectively. This study further analysis the significance level of energy indices and revealed significance. Energy use efficiency (EUE), human energy profitability (HEP), energy profitability (EP), Machinery, soil nutrient (Nitrogen, Phosphorous, potassium) and farm yard manure (FYM) are positioned in right-hand-side coordinates with higher weightage of component (55.9 per cent). A close association between energy parameters and energy productivity is also apparent from PCA graph.