Energetics of hill agro-ecosystems: a case study from central Himalaya

Abstract

The present study analyses the energy budget of crop production in hill agro-ecosystems and discusses the relation between agro- and natural ecosystems. The cultivated area is divisible according to cropping pattern into (I) vegetable-based patterns and (II) wheat-based patterns. The values of input and output, in terms of energy, indicated minimum input for the wheat-soybean and maximum input for potato-cabbage-potato patterns among all cropping patterns. 1·7 times more output of energy is generated in vegetable-based ecosystems with an input of 25 times as much fertilizer, 151 times as much manure, 6 times as much seed and 6 times as much human labour as in the wheat-based system. Hill agriculture depends to a great extent on the surrounding forest ecosystem and represents centres of massive energy consumption.