Overview

Adequate food supplies and a reasonable quality of life require energy~both noncommercial and commercial forms. This book is intended to be a reference for individuals who want a comprehensive overview of energy for agriculture, many of whom are located in remote areas with limited library resources. The purpose is to put energy for agriculture in perspective by presenting numerous national and regional examples of energy usage. Since the early 1970s, world petroleum prices have fluctuated from $3/barrel to more than $40/barrel in 1981 and then back to less than a half of the peak price today. Commercial energy is expensive at any price for rural villagers in developing countries, and energy prices in these countries do not necessarily correspond with world prices. For example, diesel fuel prices in some developing countries have increased, while world oil prices have decreased. The rural sector of developing countries depends heavily on noncommercial energy sources. Availability of noncommercial energy is highly site-specific. This book deals extensively with noncommercial energy~its sources, the technologies for converting energy to more useful gaseous and liquid forms, and its ultimate end uses. Chapter I is an introduction and overview. It emphasizes the essential nature of energy to supplement the limited work output of human beings. Chapter II describes energy use in world agriculture with particular emphasis on fertilizer, machinery, and irrigation. It tabulates cereal grain yields as related to commercial energy input for various regions. Chapter III presents numerous national and regional illustrations of energy use.

Full Product Details

Author:   B.A. Stout
Publisher:   Springer
Imprint:   Springer
Edition:   Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 1990
ISBN:  

9789401068208

ISBN 10:   9401068208
Pages:   506
Publication Date:   14 February 1991
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

I Overview.- Commercial and Noncommercial Energy.- Energy for Subsistence and Development.- Human Energy Capacity.- Supplemental Energy Needs.- Energy for Rural Development.- Energy for Improved Quality of Life.- Energy for Agriculture.- Energy-A Vital Resource for Food Systems.- Conservation and More Efficient Energy Use.- Alternative Energy Forms.- Priority Allocation.- Energy and Labor Intensity.- Energy Balance.- Laws of Thermodynamics.- Agriculture-An Energy Conversion Process.- Boundaries of Agricultural Energy Analysis.- Purpose of Agricultural Energy Analysis.- World Energy Outlook.- Energy Density.- Nonrenewable Energy Production and Consumption.- Petroleum.- Coal.- Natural Gas.- Electricity Production.- Nuclear Energy.- Renewable or Inexhaustible Energy.- Economic Considerations.- Environmental Considerations.- Solutions to Difficult Problems.- II Energy Use.- Agricultur's Share of Commercial Energy.- Commercial Energy Use for Agricultural Inputs.- Farm Machinery.- Fertilizers, Pesticides, and Irrigation.- Commercial Energy Use and Cereal Output.- Commercial Energy for Fertilizer Production and Use.- Nitrogen.- Phosphate and Potash.- Potassium.- Alternative Energy Sources for Ammonia.- Fertilizer Use Efficiency.- Energy Value of Animal Manure as a Fertilizer.- Commercial Energy for Farm Machinery Manufacture and Use.- Energy from Human Labor.- Energy Input.- Energy Output.- Energy from Draft Animals.- Draft Animal Energy Output Based on Drawbar Pull.- Draft Animal Energy Output Based on Feed Consumption.- Commercial Energy for Pump Irrigation Equipment Manufacture and Operation.- Commercial Energy for Pesticide Production and Application.- III Energy Flow.- Energy Surveys and Analyses.- Regional and National Examples.- Latin America.- Brazil.- Africa.- Ethiopia.- Sahel Village.- Senegal.- Seed bed preparation/planting/tillage.- Irrigation.- Fertilizers.- Pesticides.- Harvesting.- Drying and storage.- Transportation.- Processing.- Food preparation.- Tunisia.- Current energy use by yield classification for durum wheat.- Current production and energy use at the national level.- Projected production and energy use at the national level.- Comparison between current and projected situations.- Conclusions.- Asia.- Bangladesh.- Dry season rice production using pump groundwater in northwestern Bangladesh.- China.- Biogas.- Small-scale hydroelectric power plants.- Solar energy.- Wind energy.- Pakistan.- Philippines.- Double-cropping of rice in the Philippines.- Sri Lanka Rice Production with Collected Run-off Water.- Thailand Cassava Production.- Australasia.- New Zealand.- Energy in New Zealand agriculture.- The energetics of farming.- Agriculture and energy use in the 1980s.- Conclusions.- The Need for a Systems Approach.- IV Energy Management.- Germ Plasm and Its Impact on Energy Use.- Fertilizer and Biological Nitrogen Fixation.- Mineral Fertilizers.- Fertilizer Use.- Fertilizer Transportation.- Fertilizer Policy.- Biological Nitrogen Fixation.- Pest Control.- Irrigation.- Importance in Developing Countries.- Energy Use in Irrigation.- Energy for the Water Supply.- Energy to Provide Field Irrigation.- Energy to Operate Irrigation Systems.- Potential Energy Savings in Irrigation.- Mechanization of Agricultural Production.- Tractor Selection, Operation, and Maintenance.- Tillage.- Other Operations.- Energy Management in the Post-harvest System.- Transportation.- Optimizing Transportation Services.- Shifting to More Energy-Efficient Forms of Transportation.- Improving the Energy Efficiency of Road Transportation.- Food Processing.- Energy and the Food Consumption System.- Fuel Use in the Food Consumption System.- Impact of Oil Prices and Traditional Fuel Availability on Cooking Patterns and Nutrition.- Technological Alternatives.- Charcoal-Improved Kilns, Stoves, and Other Devices.- Biogas.- Improved Cooking Stoves.- Solar Heating.- Hot Pots.- Efficient Energy Management in Agriculture Is Good Business.- V Energy from Biomass.- Photosynthesis.- Wood for Fuel.- Sources and Availability of Biomass Feedstocks.- Residues.- Growing Crops for Fuel.- Annual Crops.- Forests and Other Perennials.- Oil/Hydrocarbon Crops.- Composition of Feedstock.- Food/Fuel Conflicts.- Freshwater and Saltwater Plants.- Aquaculture.- Mariculture.- Classification of Biomass Fuels.- Gaseous Fuels.- Liquid Fuels.- Solid Fuels.- Energy Balance.- Utilization of Biomass Fuels.- Energy Profiles.- Producer Gas.- Biomass Feedstock.- Gasifier Designs.- Technology Status.- Primary Products.- Byproducts.- Environmental and Safety Aspects.- Net Energy Balance.- R & D or Commercial Use.- Overall Assessment.- Biogas.- Types of Digesters.- Biomass Feedstock.- Anaerobic Digestion Process.- pH.- Temperature.- Toxicity.- Conversion efficiency.- Digester Designs.- Primary Products.- Biogas Utilization.- Sludge as a Fertilizer.- Sludge as a Livestock Feed.- Environmental and Safety Aspects.- Net Energy Balance.- R & D or Commercial Use.- Overall Assessment.- Hydrogen.- Process Description.- Biophotolysis.- Biomass Feedstock.- Primary Products.- Byproducts.- Environmental and Safety Aspects.- Net Energy Balance.- R & D or Commercial Use.- Overall Assessment.- Ethanol.- Biomass Feedstock.- Sacchariferous materials.- Amylaceous raw materials.- Cellulosic materials.- Process Description.- Grinding, mashing, and cooking.- Saccharification.- Fermentation.- Distillation.- Primary Products.- Energy content.- Octane rating.- Cetane rating.- Vaporization.- Corrosion.- Farm-Scale Distillation Units.- Burning Straight Ethanol in Spark Ignition Engines.- Industrial-Scale Distillation Systems.- Ethanol Use in Diesel Engines.- Byproducts.- Environmental and Safety Aspects.- Energy Balance.- R & D or Commercial Use.- Overall Assessment.- Methanol.- Biomass Feedstock.- Process Description.- Primary Products.- Utilization of Methanol in Spark Ignition Engines.- Modifications for Methanol Use in Automobiles and Tractors.- Advantages of Methanol as Automotive Fuel.- Disadvantages of Methanol as Automotive Fuel.- Byproducts.- Environmental and Safety Aspects.- R & D or Commercial Use.- Overall Assessment.- Vegetable Oil.- Biomass Feedstock.- The Oil Extraction Process.- Sunflower oil extraction.- Palm oil extraction.- Primary Products.- Energy content.- Cetane number.- Solidification point.- Saponification equivalent (number).- Specific gravity.- Fatty acid melting point.- Boiling point.- Iodine value.- Viscosity.- Byproducts.- Energy Balance.- R & D or Commercial Use.- Overall Assessment.- Solid Fuels.- Biomass Feedstock.- Process Description.- Requirements for Agricultural Applications.- R & D or Commercial Use.- Overall Assessment.- Summary.- VI Solar Energy.- Fundamentals of Solar Energy.- Solar Intensity.- Geographical Distribution.- Solar Geometry.- Collection and Storage.- Flat Plate Collectors.- Focusing or Concentrating Collectors.- Photovoltaic Cells.- Solar Ponds-Collection and Storage.- Heat Storage.- Agricultural Applications.- Water Desalination.- Water Pumping.- Agricultural Crop Drying.- Grain Drying.- Rice Drying.- Forage Drying.- Solar Crop Drying Project.- Solar Cookers.- Space Heating.- Water Heating.- Greenhouses or Glasshouses.- Future Potential of Solar Energy.- VII Wind Energy.- Fundamentals of Wind Power.- Wind Energy Conversion Systems.- Wind Turbines.- Classifications.- Aerodynamic Considerations.- Wind Turbine Performance Characteristics.- Water Pumping Wind Turbines.- Wind Turbine Generators.- Wind System Applications.- Water Pumping Applications.- Other Mechanical Applications.- Thermal Applications.- Wind-Electric Systems.- Isolated wind systems.- Utility interconnected wind systems.- Wind farms.- Wind Characteristics.- Average Wind Speeds.- Local Terrain Effects.- Wind Speed and Height.- Statistical Models.- Feasibility Studies.- Site Power and Energy Requirements.- Site Wind Assessment.- Commercially Available Wind Systems.- Wind System Power and Energy Output Calculations.- Water Pumping Wind Systems.- Wind-Electric Systems.- Economics.- VIII Hydropower.- Fundamentals of Hydropower.- Calculating Power.- Estimating Discharge.- Estimating the Head.- Hydropower Potential.- Classification of Hydropower Plants.- Reasons to Consider Small Hydropower Stations.- Planning a Hydropower Project.- The Hydroelectric Power System.- Water Supply.- Turbines and Generators.- Speed Regulation.- Generators.- Electric Distribution System.- Cost of a Small Hydroelectric Plant.- Small Hydropower Stations Versus Other Alternative Sources.- Examples of Hydropower End Uses.- Observations on the Status of Hydropower.- Summary.- IX Alternatives.- Energy Options.- A Framework for Policy Assessment and Formulation.- India.- Peru.- Increasing the Energy Supply.- More Energy Is Needed.- Energy Cropping.- Other Solar Options.- Integrated Energy Systems.- Priority Allocation of Scarce Fuels.- Decreasing Energy Demand Through Efficient Management.- Subsistence Farmers.- Rural Non-farmers.- Commercial Farmers.- Policy Implications.- Energy Use in Agricultural Production and the Food System.- Fuelwood and Charcoal Production for Rural Households and Other Uses.- General Considerations on Energy Policy and Planning.- Research Needs.- Increasing the Energy Supply.- Reducing Energy Needs.- Technology Assessment.- The Indian Energy Center: A Model for Developing Countries.- Summary.- Appendix 1 Sources of Further Information.- Appendix 2 Conversion of Units.

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