Agricultural engineering

Agricultural engineering is the engineering discipline that applies engineering science and technology to agricultural production and processing. Agricultural engineering combines the disciplines of animal biology, plant biology, and mechanical, civil, electrical and chemical engineering principles with a knowledge of agricultural principles.[1]

Contents

Subfields

Some of the specialties of agricultural engineers include:[2][3]

History

The first curriculum in Agricultural Engineering was established at Iowa State University by J. B. Davidson in 1905. The American Society of Agricultural Engineers, now known as the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, was founded in 1907.[4]

Agricultural engineers

Agricultural engineers may perform tasks as planning, supervising and managing the building of dairy effluent schemes, irrigation, drainage, flood and water control systems, perform environmental impact assessments, agricultural product processing and interpret research results and implement relevant practices. A large percentage of agricultural engineers work in academia or for government agencies such as the United States Department of Agriculture or state agricultural extension services. 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, research and development, or applied science.

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

See also

Agriculture and Agronomy portal
Engineering portal

References

  1. ^ Hills, David (2004). "Agricultural engineering". The Engineering Handbook (2nd ed.). CRC Press. pp. 190-1 - 190-9. ISBN 0-8493-1586-7. 
  2. ^ "Agricultural engineering". The McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology (9 ed.). McGraw Hill. pp. 212-213. ISBN 0-07-913665-6. 
  3. ^ Field, Harry; Solie, John (2007). Introduction to Agricultural Engineering Technology (3rd ed.). 
  4. ^ "ASABE website". http://www.asabe.org/about.html. Retrieved May 15, 2009. 

Further reading

External links