Agricultural Machinery Operation

Farm Power

• Farm power is required for two kinds of work: tractive work (pulling/drawing effort) and stationary work.
• Tractive work includes land preparation, cultivation, harvesting, and transportation.
• Stationary work includes threshing, irrigation pumping, and feed grinding.

Sources of Agricultural Power

• Human power technology: uses human energy, with a mature human developing an output of 0.1 hp.
• Animal power technology: uses animal energy, with draft animals like horses and buffaloes developing an output of 0.7-1.3 hp.
• Engine power technology: uses heat energy from fuels to produce mechanical energy, with outputs ranging from 3 hp to over 200 hp.

Other Sources of Farm Power

• Electric motor: suitable for machines requiring 5-7.5 hp or less, with advantages including reasonable cost, long life, and reliability.
• Water: can be used to drive agricultural and industrial equipment, with energy derived from potential/kinetic energy.
• Wind: can be used to drive farm equipment, but has an intermittent and fluctuating nature.
• Solar: can be used to drive pumps, heat air/products, and generate electricity with solar cells.
• Biogas: a type of biofuel produced from organic waste decomposition, primarily consisting of methane and carbon dioxide gases.

Agricultural Machinery and Equipment

• Land preparation machinery: includes plowing, harrowing, and leveling.
• Crop establishment machinery: includes seeding, planting, and transplanting.
• Crop care machinery: includes irrigation, fertilization, and pest control.
• Harvesting and threshing machinery: includes reaping, binding, and threshing.
• Drying machinery: includes grain dryers and crop dryers.
• Milling machinery: includes grinders, crushers, and flour mills.