Agricultural Engineering

Introduction:

Agricultural Engineering as regarded as a branch of professional engineering which entails the application of engineering technology, chemical science, physical science and biological science to agriculture. Agricultural Engineering requires education and experience as in necessary to understand and apply engineering principles to design systems and equipment to mange numerous resources that provide food, fibers and protect/develop the environment now and for the future.

Also, Agricultural Engineering provides a broad and flexible engineering background. Vast of areas are covered in agricultural Engineering and related subjects such as Agricultural Power and Machinery; Agricultural Process Engineering; Food Engineering; Post-Harvest Engineering; Soil and Water Engineering; Environmental Engineering; Agricultural Structures and Environmental Control;  Sensors and Control; Waste Management; Aquacultural Engineering; Animal Production Engineering and the Emerging Technology Areas of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Applications, Computer Based Simulation, Instrumentation and Process Control, CAD/CAM Systems, Biotechnology, Biological Engineering, Biosystems Engineering, Bioresources Engineering, Food Science and Technology, Physical Sciences, Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Nanotechnology and Renewable Energy. In summary, it involves applied field of engineering and technology by which principles and practices of engineering sciences in agricultural and rural development are applied, with overall enhancement of agricultural of agricultural production, quality and management of natural resources. 

Scope and activities:

Agriculture entails the practice of cultivating the soil, harvesting crops, and raising live-stock to produce plants and animals useful to human beings and, in varying degrees, it is the preparation of these products for humans use and their disposal. In general agriculture includes horticulture, seed production, dairy farming and livestock production, the management of land that supports these activities with the adoption of sustainable and environmental friendly method. For instance the introduction of sensors and control in precision farming has resulted to optimizing crop yield and quality, better management of resources, protection of environment, optimizing profit, reducing cost, and conservation of energy. In general it is considered that the sole aim of agriculture is production of food for human and animal consumption. But besides food; agriculture provides raw materials for producing industries (e.g. Cotton, stimulants, ornaments, rubber, etc.). For these reasons agriculture is seen as a major source of income to most nations around the world.

Programs:

There are undergraduate programs, master programs and Post graduate programs in Agricultural engineering. Admission requirement for undergraduate studies demands a solid background in Mathematics, English, and Science courses (e.g. Chemistry, Physic and Biology). Also, in undergraduate degree program, a total of 4-5 years of study is required. Of which, the first 2-3 years is will be spent studying the basic foundation tools (e.g., Mathematics courses, sciences, introductory engineering, management , and other social science courses), while the last 2-3 year of study will be solely devoted to courses directly connected to agricultural engineering (departmental courses) such as soli sciences, plant physiology, engineering processing etc. After completion of the first degree students are expected to integrate engineering analysis, and design with biology to address challenges in the production, processing, packaging, and distribution of diverse agricultural products.

In the master courses, a degree in engineering, agricultural and food courses is a prerequisite in getting a place in Agricultural Engineering program. Some universities require students spend two years for master courses in agricultural Engineering. In Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), a year of study is required. After completion of master degree students are seen professionals in specific branches (Automation, Project, water and Irrigation etc) of Agricultural Engineering. Also having good internet knowledge, use of GPS in precision farming, articles write-ups/presentations, and good command in certain analytical tools such as Matlab, Labview, unscramble, etc.

In UMP there is a post graduate degree for Agricultural Engineering, and is a two years program.

 Getting a position requires completion of a master degree program in Agricultural Engineering or related fields. Graduate of Phd are seen as specialist in this field, having good command of analytical tool, research methodology, article writing and publications creative, inquisitive, analytical, and detail-oriented being able to work as part of a team, good communication ability, both orally and in writing. Communication abilities are important because engineers often interact with specialists in a wide range of fields outside engineering. Mind you all listed expectation are also very much applicable to master degree holders and to some extent with graduate degree holder.

Career Areas:

There are loads of career areas for Agricultural engineers especially in the engineering and technological section. Some of these areas are Machine design/testing,  sensor and robotic design,  Natural Resources Management,  Consulting,  Product Management,  Research, Environmental protection projects,  Sales, Irrigation and water management, food industries and outlets, farms, structure design for livestock,  just to mention a few. One very good area of this course is being able to establish your own business easily. 

Professional Organizations:

It is important as a agricultural engineer to belong to a professional organization, enabling one to participate, and obtain useful and current information in innovation, development and inventions in this field. These organizations and associations provide a wide range of resources for planning

and navigating a career in Agricultural Engineering and also play an important role keeping one up to date in new topics and developments in Agricultural sectors. Also these associations promote the interests of their members and provide a network of contacts that can help their members find jobs in big companies with good career development possibilities. They can offer a variety of services, such as  job referral services, continuing education courses, insurance, travel benefits, and meeting and conference opportunities. Some of these associations are chili, American society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association

for more information on Agricultural Engineering, see below contact please and watch out for more articles on this subject.

Please  contact:           Ikechukwu Aligbe

                                    U. Politécnica de Madrid

                                    E.T.S.I. Agrónomos

                                    Dpto. Ingeniería agronomos

                                    Avda. Complutense s/n 28040 Madrid

                                    Ik.aligbe@alumnos.upm.es