ISSN : 2348-8808 (Print ), 2348-8867 (Online) Journal of AgriSearch 2(2): 119-125 Energy Use Pattern and Scenario Change in Sugarcane (ratoon) Cultivation for Bhabar Region of Uttarakhand, India RAGHURAJ SINGH*, O P GUPTA 1 AND S K PATEL 2 ICAR-Directorate of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research, Boriavi, Anand, Gujarat, India ABSTRACT The production and productivity are directly related with use in unit operation of agricultural production. The variation in yield of crop occurs in India due to wide variation in energy inputs, agro-climatic conditions and resources used. Keeping this in view, a study has been carried out to ind the energy scenario of sugarcane (ratoon) crop for sugarcane production in Bhabar region of Uttarakhand, India. The scenario shows, energy consumption was highest in tractor farm followed by animal farm and mixed farm in this region and total operational energy ranged from 3576 to 6222 MJ/ha for sugarcane (ratoon) crop cultivation. Irrigation was the highest energy consuming operation in sugarcane (ratoon) crop cultivation operations. The energy productivity ranged from 2.712 to 3.944 kg/MJ for sugarcane (ratoon) crop cultivation. Key words: Energy scenario, Energy inputs, Energy productivity, Uttrakhand, sugarcane 1 Professor (Retd.) G B Pant University of Ag. & Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, India. 2 Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Anand Agricultural University, Dahod, Gujarat, India *Corresponding author email: raghuraj9271@gmail.com INTRODUCTION Sugarcane occupies a very prominent position on the agricultural map of India covering large areas in sub-tropics and tropics. On an average, white sugar production accounts for nearly 60 per cent of the total cane produced in the country The area under sugarcane is hovering around 4.4 million hectares and with an average productivity of 68 tonnes/ha (Rana et al., 2003a). Ratoons occupy a sizable proportion of the total area under cane cultivation, upto 50% of cane area in sub-tropical states like Uttar Pradesh. The major advantage of ratoons lies in its early maturity, lower cost of cultivation and high sugar recovery during early period of crushing (Rana et al., 2003b). Advance technology has created an energy intensive life style. Modern agriculture is not exception of it. India has become self suficient in food production by adopting improved technologies in agriculture. The present level of production is an outcome of use of high yielding varieties of seeds, chemicals, fertilizers, pesticides, improved irrigation facilities, more area under irrigation, more area under crop, higher level of mechanization, better marketing facilities, well deined credit policies and support price of sugarcane and food grains. In agriculture sector, sugarcane share is about 7% of the total value of agriculture output and occupied about 2.6% of India’s gross cropped area during 2006-07(Anonymous, 2012). Sugarcane provides raw material for the second largest agro- based industry after textile (Rana et al., 2003b) About 527 working sugar factories with total installed annual sugar production capacity of about 242 lakh tonnes are located in the country during 2010-11. The average cane yield of India has increased from 40.5 tonnes/ ha (1950-51) to 70 tonnes/ha (2009-10) (Anonymous, 2013). The production and productivity is directly related with energy availability. This availability of power in Punjab is 3.5 kW/ha, which is highest in the country while average power availability in agriculture for whole country is 1.5 kW/ha. To obtain still more production and productivity, higher energy inputs and better management of food production is required. Energy is an essential input for economic development and improving the quality of life. ARTICLE INFO Received on : 13.02.2015 Accepted on : 08.05.2015 Published online : 01.06.2015