# Energy in farming: Equipment and suppliers Inside the pump set, solar controller and ammonia plant Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_agri_energy/equipment/ What this tab covers For each method, the main pieces of equipment, who makes them (by region) and what they are made of (bill of materials). The key equipment is the tractor, the pump set (with its motor or engine), the solar pump system and, off-farm, the fertiliser plant. Provider lists are left empty where no reliable ranking was found. #### Crop farming **Tractor**^[13](https://www.statista.com/statistics/461428/revenue-of-major-farm-machinery-manufacturers-worldwide/)^[14](https://www.mahindra.com/news-room/press-release/en/mahindra-farm-equipment-business-surpasses-production-milestone-of-70-lakh-tractors) Provides draught and shaft power for field operations United States Deere and Company, AGCO Europe CNH Industrial (New Holland, Case IH), CLAAS Japan and Korea Kubota India Mahindra and Mahindra Bill of materials - **Engine**: Diesel engine with cast-iron block - **Transmission**: Steel gears and hydraulic system - **Tyres**: Natural and synthetic rubber #### Livestock **Milking and milk cooling systems** Extract milk and chill it quickly to keep it safe Bill of materials - **Vacuum pump and pulsators**: Electric motor, steel and plastic parts - **Bulk milk tank**: Stainless steel with refrigeration unit #### Electric and diesel irrigation pumps **Submersible or monoblock pump set**^[5](https://www.icf.com/-/media/9473a45c0fd740c4b479d6295e7ebff5.ashx) Lifts water from wells and canals Bill of materials - **Motor**: Electrical steel laminations, copper windings - **Impellers and diffusers**: Stainless steel, bronze or engineering plastic - **Column pipe and cable**: Steel or HDPE pipe, copper cable **Small diesel engine** Drives the pump where there is no grid Bill of materials - **Engine block and crankshaft**: Cast iron and forged steel - **Fuel injection**: Steel pump and injectors #### Solar irrigation pumps **Solar pump system (panels, controller, motor-pump)**^[2](https://www.ren21.net/gsr/2025/agriculture)^[9](https://www.ise.fraunhofer.de/content/dam/ise/de/documents/publications/studies/Photovoltaics-Report.pdf) Turns sunlight directly into pumped water Bill of materials - **Solar modules**: Crystalline silicon, glass and aluminium, often the largest share of system cost - **Controller**: Power electronics with maximum power point tracking - **Motor**: Permanent-magnet or induction motor, copper and electrical steel #### Fertiliser **Ammonia and urea plant**^[4](https://www.iea.org/reports/ammonia-technology-roadmap)^[17](https://ammoniaenergy.org/articles/licensor-selection-picking-up-for-renewable-ammonia-synthesis-loops/) Makes nitrogen fertiliser from natural gas and air Europe Topsoe, thyssenkrupp Uhde, Casale United States KBR Bill of materials - **Reformer**: Nickel-chromium alloy tubes with nickel catalyst - **Synthesis converter**: Steel pressure vessel with iron catalyst - **Urea reactor**: Corrosion-resistant stainless or duplex steel #### Sources 1. [Renewables 2025 Global Status Report: Agriculture](https://www.ren21.net/gsr/2025/agriculture) REN21, 2025 2. [Ammonia Technology Roadmap](https://www.iea.org/reports/ammonia-technology-roadmap) IEA, 2021 3. [Agricultural Demand Side Management (Ag-DSM) Program in India: Adopting technologies to boost efficiencies (white paper) (2016 data)](https://www.icf.com/-/media/9473a45c0fd740c4b479d6295e7ebff5.ashx) ICF International, 2016 4. [Photovoltaics Report](https://www.ise.fraunhofer.de/content/dam/ise/de/documents/publications/studies/Photovoltaics-Report.pdf) Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, 2026 5. [Revenue of major farm machinery manufacturers worldwide, FY2022](https://www.statista.com/statistics/461428/revenue-of-major-farm-machinery-manufacturers-worldwide/) Statista, 2023 6. [Mahindra Farm Equipment Business surpasses production milestone of 70 lakh tractors (company press release)](https://www.mahindra.com/news-room/press-release/en/mahindra-farm-equipment-business-surpasses-production-milestone-of-70-lakh-tractors) Mahindra and Mahindra, 2026 7. [Licensor selection picking up for renewable ammonia synthesis loops](https://ammoniaenergy.org/articles/licensor-selection-picking-up-for-renewable-ammonia-synthesis-loops/) Ammonia Energy Association, 2024 ## Other sections - [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_agri_energy/index.md) - [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_agri_energy/overview/index.md) - [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_agri_energy/correlation/index.md) - [Science and limits](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_agri_energy/science/index.md) - [Value chain](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_agri_energy/valuechain/index.md) - [Unit economics](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_agri_energy/economics/index.md) - [Engineering methods](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_agri_energy/methods/index.md) - [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_agri_energy/links/index.md)