India has emerged as the second largest producer of wheat in the world, close on the heels of China. Development and adoption of improved farm technologies has helped boost yields, provide resistance to important pests and diseases and other undesirable traits, spread of irrigation, storage, transport, processing and marketing, coupled with congenial price policies, all helping enhance the production and productivity of wheat. The transition in technology and agricultural development has brought in a shift in the choice of energy resources under use. The use of non-renewable energy sources has been increasing in the process. Adoption of an energy-efficient cultivation system would help in energy conservation and better resource allocation. For the wheat crop, data were collected from 780 irrigated farms spread over Tarai and Bhabar regions of Uttar Pradesh and five agro-climatic zones of the Punjab State. All the farms had the combination of tractor power and diesel engine and electric motor pumps as stationary power sources. The energy consumption patterns of these farms were studied and linear programming technique applied to determine optimal energy resource allocation for maximum yield obtainable under business-as-usual and improved cultivation practices. The results indicated that 16,635 MJ/ha of energy is presently consumed for an average yield of 3,646 kg/ha. Fertiliser provided 41 percent of the energy, followed by diesel, electricity, seed, farmyard manure, human, machinery and agro-chemicals. Based on the performance of the farms, optimal energy resource allocation suggests that 38.50 percent additional yield can be obtained without any major change in energy use pattern. Energy saving of 8.30 percent is also feasible with optimal energy resource allocations. Since the optimisation is based on actual performance of the sample size, it appears that the energy resource management by the majority of farmers has been sub-optimal. The results also suggest that by adopting improved cultivation practices and recommended seed and fertiliser application rates, the yield level can increase to 5,792 kg/ha with an investment of 17,230 MJ/ha of total energy. The optimized energy use requires 17.40 percent higher fertiliser, and 60.72 percent higher machinery energy for timely sowing of the crop with improved sowing implements and timely completion of time bound operations. Energy productivity in the process would increase to 0.336 kg/MJ from 0.219 kg/MJ presently being obtained by the farmers. The estimate of optimized energy resource allocation (using improved practices) required for attaining the potential yield level observed in research farms indicate that investment of 22,378 MJ/ha would be required for a yield level of 6,000 kg/ha. When compared with optimal energy resource allocation for business-as-usual approach, fertiliser use would increase by about 48 percent for the increase in yield by 19 percent. Diesel energy use would increase by 54 percent. As a consequence, electricity and human energy use would reduce by about 10 and 19 percent, respectively. The total energy consumption (using improved practices) increases with increase in productivity. The share of indirect energy increases faster than direct energy due to fertiliser consumption pattern. Energy productivity would improve to 0.426 kg/MJ, the rate of improvement being higher till yield level of 2,500 kg/ha. The total direct energy consumption in business-as-usual practice is, however, more than in the improved practice, the difference being more pronounced at lower productivity levels. The pattern is governed by the consumption pattern of direct commercial energy. The potential of saving of human energy and electricity in the process would provide a better energy management option for cultivation of the crop.
