Study on Plot Pattern and Farm Power Utilization for Major Crops in two Agro-climatic Zones of Hill Agriculture

Abstract

A study was conducted in two major agro-climatic zones of Himachal Pradesh, namely Sub-montaneous Low Hills Sub-tropical (Zone-I) and Mid Hills Sub-humid (zone-II), to know the plot pattern and power utilization for major crops i.e. maize, paddy and wheat in hill farming. Average percentage of plots was 9.1, 14.8,20.5, 25.3 and 30.3 in zone-I and 32.5, 26.4, 19.4, 14.2 and 7.6 in zone-II for the size less than 100, 100-00,200300,

300-400 and more than 400 m2, respectively. The vertical interval was observed to be 40-50 % higher in zone-II as compared to zone-I. The average plot width was 7.7, 10.5, 14.2, 16.8 and 25.3 min zone-I and 4.7, 8.6, 10.6, 13.4 and 20.5 m in zone-II with the plot size as stated above, which was 10-15% higher in zone-I as compared to zone-II. The shape of plots was 69 and 87% irregular and 31 and 13% regular with fragmented holding in zone-I and II, respectively. Overall animate power (481-619 man-h/ha and 104-138 animal-h/ha) was the major source of power for all the crops under different farm groups in the region. Source wise power utilization per unit area f-Jr major crops was 12-22, 10-12 and 5-14% higher in case of man, animal and tractor, respectively in zone-II as compared to zone-I. Overall tractor power utilization was 2.5-17.3 h/ha (65.0-451.9 kWh/ha) and 2.0-20.20 h/ha (54.6-527.4 kWh/ha) for zone-I and zone-II, respectively with maximum in wheat and minimum in paddy crop. Tractor was not utilized by the farmers of zone-II for puddling due to small sized plots.