Wolaita Sodo University

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Farm Power and Machinery(AgEn262)

Chapter 2
Farm Power and Sources
By Zablon Z.
 Farm Power
• Farm Power is an essential input in agriculture for timely field operations
for increasing production and productivity of land.
Farm power is used for operating different types of machinery like:
 Tillage,
Planting/seeding,
Plant protection,
Harvesting and threshing machinery and
Other stationary jobs like operating irrigation equipment, threshers/
sheller/ cleaners/ graders, etc.
Sources Farm Power
There are different sources of farm power which are classified as:
1. Human power
2. Animal power
3. Mechanical power (Tractors + Power tillers + Oil engines)
4. Electrical power
5. Renewable energy (Biogas + Solar energy + Wind energy)
Sources Farm Power
1. HUMAN POWER
• Human power is the main source for operating small implements and tools at
the farm. It is the primary source for running small equipment and tools at
the farm.
• Stationary work like chaff cutting, lifting, water, threshing, winnowing etc. are
also done by manual labor.
• An average man can develop maximum power of about 0.1 hp for doing farm
work.
• Advantages: Easily available and used for all types of work.
• Disadvantages: Costliest power compared to all other farms of power, very low
efficiency, requires full maintenance when not in use and affected by weather
condition and seasons
 Cont..
Human Power:
Weeding Harvesting Land preparation
 Cont..
2. ANIMAL POWER
• The most important source of power on the farm all over the world and particularly in
Ethiopia is animal.
• Power developed by an average pair of bullocks is about 1 hp for usual farm work.
• Bullocks are employed for all types farm work in all seasons.
• Besides bullocks, other animals like camels, buffaloes, horses, donkeys, mules and
elephants are also used at some places.
• The average force a draft animal can exert is nearly one-tenth of its body weight.
• Advantages: Easily available, Used for all types of work, Low initial investment,
Supplies manure to the field and fuels to farmers and Live on farm produce.
• Disadvantages: Not very efficient, Seasons and weather affect the efficiency, Cannot
work at a stretch, Require full maintenance when there is no farm work, Creates
unhealthy and dirty atmosphere near the residence and Very slow in doing work.
 Cont..
Animal Powers
 Cont..
3. MECHANICAL POWER
• The third important source of farm power is mechanical power that is available
through tractors and oil engines.
• Broadly speaking, mechanical power includes stationary oil engines, tractors, power
tillers and self propelled combines.
• Internal combustion engine is a good device for converting liquid fuel into useful
work (mechanical work).
• These engines are two types:
• The thermal efficiency of diesel engine varies from 32 to 38 percent whereas that of
petrol engine (Carburetor engine) varies from 25 to 32 percent.
• In modern days, almost all the tractors and power tillers are operated by diesel
engines.
• Diesel engines are used for operating irrigation pumps, flour mills, oil ghanis, cotton
gins, chaff cutter, sugarcane crusher, threshers, winnowers etc.
 Cont..
• Advantages: Efficiency is high; not affected by weather; can run at a
stretch; requires less space and cheaper form of power
• Disadvantages: Initial capital investment is high; fuel is costly and
repairs and maintenance needs technical knowledge.
 Cont..
Oil Engines
 Cont..
Tractors

Self propelled combine harvester

 Cont..
4. ELECTRICAL POWER
• Electrical power is used mostly in the form of electrical motors on the
farms.
• Motor is a very useful machine for farmers.
• Electrical power is used for water pumping/irrigation, diary industry, cold
storage, farm product processing, fruit industry and many similar things.
• Advantages: Very cheap form of power; high efficiency; can work at a
stretch; maintenance and operating cost is very low and not affected by
weather conditions, It is clean, quest and smooth running, the operating
cost remains almost constant throughout its life.
• Disadvantages: Initial capital investment is high; require good amount of
technical knowledge and it causes great danger, if handled without care.
 Cont..
ELECTRICAL POWER
 Cont..
5. RENEWABLE ENERGY
• It is the energy mainly obtained from renewable sources of energy like sun, wind, biomass
etc.
• Biogas energy, wind energy and solar energy are used in agriculture and domestic purposes
with suitable devices
• Renewable energy can be used for lighting, cooking, water heating, space heating, water
distillation, food processing, water pumping, and electric generation.
• This type of energy is inexhaustible in nature.
 Cont..
Renewable powers