Energy Consumption Pattern in Irrigated Paddy Cultivation in Thiruvanamalai District of Tamil Nadu: A Case Study

Abstract

A large amount of energy is consumed in different stages of paddy cultivation. On-farm energy use patterns in paddy crop systems, both source-wise and operation-wise, were determined to prepare an energy audit in irrigated paddy cultivation. The data on energy consumption from different sources for the production of paddy were collected from different parts of the Tiruvannamalai district in Tamil Nadu. Energy consumption was categorized into direct energy and indirect energy. Energy consumption by various machineries, various inputs and by various farmer categories based on the size of land holding was analyzed. It was found that there is a large scope of mechanization in marginal farmers. It was found that for marginal farmers there is a large scope of mechanization. The adoption of mechanization results in reduced human energy and increased fuel energy. But proper adoption of machineries results in proper time management, less human drudgery and more energy-efficient operation.