Appraisal on Energy Coefficients in Energetic Analysis of Agricultural Production System and Energetic Assessment on Sugarcane production

Assessment on energy consumption pattern and energy analysis is carried out to identify and implement energy conservation measures in agriculture to reduce the cost of cultivation. Embodied energy of agricultural inputs and outputs is studied using energy coefficients. Considering the modernization in all the processes and systems, the necessity on revaluation of energy coefficients is understood for on-target and precise energy analysis in agriculture. Hence, the energy coefficients followed for the past few decades were appraised through appropriate calculations considering the amelioration of production and related processes. The rederived energy coefficients were evaluated through energy analysis in sugarcane cultivation. A preliminary and detailed energy audit on energy consumption in sugarcane cultivation was carried out in Orathur village, Villupuram district, Tamil Nadu, India. Various operational energy consumptions (land development, land preparation, planting, fertilizer application, irrigation, weeding, earthing-up, detrashing, harvesting, and transportation) and source-wise energy consumption (human power, fertilizer, mechanical energy, electrical energy, and fuel) were calculated by existing and rederived energy coefficients. From the energy audit, it is observed that irrigation was the most energy-consuming agricultural operation with 55 to 67% of total operational energy input. The other major energy sources in sugarcane cultivation were found to be seed (80—81%) and fertilizer (16%). These results show the effectiveness and relevance of rederived energy coefficients for assessing and optimizing energy inputs and output in sugarcane cultivation. Energy analysis in agricultural system helps to move agriculture closer toward sustainability by optimizing the energy usage and increased energy efficiency.