Such machinery has facilitated the full or partial replacement of human- and animal-powered equipment in developed countries and increasingly in developing countries as well. The net result has been higher productivity and the welcome elimination of much of the drudgery of manual farm labor. For example, one person involved in agricultural production can now provide enough food and fiber for 128 others whereas only a century ago one person could provide food and fiber for only eight others (see also, Technology and Power in Agriculture).
Even when oilseeds (esterified, partially refined or crude) are used as diesel fuel extenders, the economic difficulty still persists and will continue until such time as diesel oil supplies begin to dwindle or until a more appropriate substitute fuel (renewable or nonrenewable) should emerge. Should diesel fuel supplies run out and an appropriate substitute fuel fail to emerge, tractors and other engine-driven equipment could convert to spark-ignition engines. These are more versatile in terms of fuel use (e.g. renewable alcohol, as well as nonrenewable hydrocarbons) even if less suited to the heavy workloads in agriculture.

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Such machinery has facilitated the full or partial replacement of human- and animal-powered equipment in developed countries and increasingly in developing countries as well. The net result has been higher productivity and the welcome elimination of much of the drudgery of manual farm labor. For example, one person involved in agricultural production can now provide enough food and fiber for 128 others whereas only a century ago one person could provide food and fiber for only eight others (see also, Technology and Power in Agriculture).
Even when oilseeds (esterified, partially refined or crude) are used as diesel fuel extenders, the economic difficulty still persists and will continue until such time as diesel oil supplies begin to dwindle or until a more appropriate substitute fuel (renewable or nonrenewable) should emerge. Should diesel fuel supplies run out and an appropriate substitute fuel fail to emerge, tractors and other engine-driven equipment could convert to spark-ignition engines. These are more versatile in terms of fuel use (e.g. renewable alcohol, as well as nonrenewable hydrocarbons) even if less suited to the heavy workloads in agriculture.

Source 1 | Source 2 | Source 3

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