ABSTRACT
The basic needs of life are food, clothing and shelter. In the 21st century a fourth need added to mankind is energy. Energy, economics and the environment are mutually dependent. Efficient and effective energy use in agriculture is one of the conditions for sustainable agricultural production, since it provides financial savings. The direct sources of energy are those which release the energy directly-like human labour, bullocks, stationary and mobile mechanical or electrical power units, such as diesel engines, electric motor, power tiller and tractors. The indirect sources of energy are those which do not release energy directly but release it by conversion process. The energy sources which are capital intensive are called commercial sources of energy. Conventional agriculture has largely been characterized by tillage, which include soil loosening and leveling for seed bed preparation, mixing fertilizer into soil, weed control and crop residue management for higher crop yields.
