Agricultural engineering

Agricultural engineer

An agricultural and biosystems engineer fixing an agricultural robot
Occupation
Names	Agricultural engineer, agricultural and biosystems engineer
Occupation type	Profession
Activity sectors	Engineering,agriculture
Description
Competencies	Engineering,agriculture
Fields of employment	Engineering,agribusiness,farm
Related jobs	Agriculturist,farmer,farm worker,engineer

Agricultural engineering, also known asagricultural and biosystems engineering, is the field of study and application ofengineeringscience and designs principles foragriculturepurposes, combining the various disciplines ofmechanical,civil,electrical,food science,environmental,software, andchemical engineeringto improve the efficiency offarmsandagribusiness enterprises^[1]as well as to ensure sustainability of natural and renewable resources.^[2]

An agricultural engineer is anengineerwith anagriculturebackground. Agricultural engineers make the engineering designs and plans in an agricultural project, usually in partnership with anagriculturistwho is more proficient infarmingandagricultural science.

The first use of agricultural engineering was the introduction ofirrigationin large scale agriculture in theNileand theEuphratesrivers before 2000 B.C. Large irrigation structures were also present inBaluchistanandIndiabeforeChristian era. In other parts of Asia, agricultural engineering was heavily present inChina. In South America irrigation was practiced inPeruby theIncasand in North America by theAztecs.^[3]

The earliest plough was theardor scratch-plough.^[4]

Settlers practiced irrigation in the vicinity ofSan Antonioin 1715, theMormonspracticed irrigation inSalt Lake Valleyin 1847.^[3]

With growingmechanizationandsteam powerin theIndustrial Revolution, a new age in agricultural engineering began. Over the course of the Industrial Revolution,mechanical harvestersandplanterswould replace field hands in most of the food andcash cropindustries.Mechanical threshingwas introduced in 1761 by John Lloyd, Magnus Strindberg and Dietrich. Beater barthreshingmachine was built byAndrew Meiklein 1786.^[5]Acast ironplowwas first made byCharles Newboldbetween 1790 and 1796.^[3]

James Smithconstructed amowerin 1811.George Berryused a steamcombine harvesterin 1886.^[5]John Deeremade his firststeel plowin 1833. The two horsecultivatorwas first about 1861.^[3]

The introduction of these engineering concepts into the field of agriculture allowed for an enormous boost in the productivity of crops, dubbed a "second agricultural revolution" which consisted of:^[6]

1. Shift from peasant subsistence-farming to cash-farming for the market
2. Technical changes ofcrop rotationsand livestock improvement
3. Labour being replaced by machinery

In the 20th century, with the rise in reliable engines in airplanes,cropdusterswere implemented to disperse pesticides.Benjamin Holtbuilt a combine harvester powered bypetrolin 1911.Erwin Peuckerconstructedbulldog tractors1936.Deutz-Fahrproduced the rotaryhay tedderin 1961.^[5]

In the late 20th century,genetically modified foods(GMOs) were created, giving another large boost to crop yields and resistance to pests.^[7]

Agricultural engineering has many sub-disciplines, the most common of which are listed here:

Agricultural machinery

Agricultural structures

Agricultural surveying

Aquaculture

Biomechanics and ergonomics

Forestry engineering

Irrigation

Land development

Pesticides

Precision agriculture

Soil management

Agricultural engineers may perform tasks such as planning, supervising and managing the building of dairy effluent schemes,irrigation,drainage,floodwater control systems, performingenvironmental impact assessments,agriculturalproductprocessingand interpret research results and implement relevant practices. A large percentage of agricultural engineers work in academia or for government agencies. Some are consultants, employed by private engineering firms, while others work in industry, for manufacturers of agricultural machinery, equipment, processing technology, and structures for housing livestock and storing crops. Agricultural engineers work in production, sales,management,researchand development, orapplied science.

In 2006 Armenia's agricultural sector accounted for about 20 percent of the GDP. By 2010, it grew to about 25 percent.^[8]This was and is higher than in Armenia's neighboring countries of Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkey and Iran, in which the contribution of agriculture to the GDP in 2017 was 6.88, 5.63, 6.08 and 9.05 percent, respectively.^[9]

In thePhilippines, the professional designation isregistered agricultural and biosystems engineer. They are licensed and accredited after successfully passing the Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Licensure Examination. A prospective agricultural and biosystems engineer is required to have a four-yearBachelor of Sciencein Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering.

The practice of agricultural and biosystems engineering also includes the following:

• Consultation, valuation, investigation and management services on agricultural and biosystems engineering;
• Management or supervision and the preparation of engineering designs, plans, specifications, project studies and estimates for agricultural and biosystems, aquaculture and fishery, and forest product machinery, agricultural and biosystems buildings and structures, farm electrification and energy systems, agricultural and biosystems processing equipment, irrigation and soils conservation systems and facilities, agricultural and biosystems waste utilization systems and facilities;
• Conducting research and development, training and extension work, and consultancy services on agricultural and biosystems engineering facilities/services, system and technologies;
• Testing, evaluation and inspection of agricultural and biosystems, fishery and forest product machinery and other related agricultural and biosystems engineering facilities and equipment.
• Management, manufacturing and/or marketing of agricultural and biosystems machinery and other related agricultural and biosystems engineering facilities and equipment;
• Teaching, agricultural and biosystems engineering subjects in institution of learning in the Philippines;
• Employment with the government provided such item or position requires the knowledge and expertise of an agricultural and biosystems engineer.

In the United Kingdom the term agricultural engineer is often also used to describe a person that repairs or modifies agricultural equipment.

The American Society of Agricultural Engineers, now known as theAmerican Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers(ASABE), was founded in 1907.^[10]It is a leading organization in the agricultural engineering field. The ASABE provides safety and regulatory standards for the agricultural industry. Thesestandardsand regulations are developed on an international scale for fertilizers, soil conditions, fisheries, biofuels, biogas, feed machinery, tractors, and machinery.^[1]

• Agricultural education
• Agricultural science
• Agronomy
• Bioresource engineering
• Biosystems engineering
• Copper alloys in aquaculture
• Industrial agriculture
• Institution of Agricultural Engineers
• List of agricultural machinery
• Mechanized agriculture
• Water softening

• Brown, R.H. (ed). (1988).CRC handbook of engineering in agriculture.Boca Raton, FL.: CRC Press.ISBN0-8493-3860-3.
• Field, H. L., Solie, J. B., & Roth, L. O. (2007).Introduction to agricultural engineering technology: a problem solving approach. New York: Springer.ISBN0-387-36913-9.
• Stewart, Robert E. (1979).Seven decades that changed America: a history of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers, 1907-1977. St. Joseph, Mich.: ASAE.OCLC5947727.
• DeForest, S. S. (2007).The vision that cut drugery from farming forever. St. Joseph, Mich.: ASAE.ISBN1-892769-61-1.