Agricultural Engineering

INTRODUCTION

Agricultural Engineering is the area of engineering concerned with the design, construction and improvement of farming equipment and machinery. Agricultural engineers integrate technology with farming e.g. they design new and improved farming equipment that may work more efficiently, or perform new tasks.

Agricultural Engineering is the branch of Engineering that utilizes the engineering principles, materials and forces of nature for the benefit of agriculture and resultantly in the best interest of humanity. Agricultural Engineers are trained to creatively apply engineering and scientific principles in the design and development of new products, systems and processes for the conversion of raw materials and power sources into food, feed, and fiber while protecting the environment and workers health and safety.

NATURE OF WORK

An agricultural engineer applies the engineering principles of technology and science, combined with agricultural knowledge, to help solve agricultural problems through innovative technology. Agricultural engineers use science to design and develop equipment that makes it easier for the practice of animal husbandry and horticulture.

Agricultural Engineers offer their valuable services:

to design irrigation systems such as surface and high efficiency irrigation systems to utilize the precious waters to enhance agricultural productivity
to design drainage systems to control the menaces of water-logging and salinity
to design and develop strategies for flood management
to develop soil and water conservation techniques for irrigated and rainfed areas
to apply hydrology principles to predict and mitigate floods, landslides and drought risks
to design farm structures for poultry, dairy, and storages for agricultural products; design dams and ponds for irrigation water supply
to modify agricultural features by landscaping techniques
to perform agricultural product processing, and environmental impact assessment
to design new and improved farm machinery for agricultural mechanization
to utilize different techniques of renewable energies to generate power for agricultural needs
to apply geographic information system and remote sensing techniques to agricultural research
to interpret research output, and implement relevant schemes.

In general, they combine physical sciences with biological sciences and solve engineering problems related to agriculture.

Read:- Telecommunication Engineering

SCOPE

Choosing a job in this field means endless possibilities, since there’s a lot of room for growth. The opportunities are endless and your efforts beefed up by the on job training will make you highly marketable, even abroad. A career in this industry requires you to have a knack for creativity, have great people/interpersonal skills and have a very analytical mind and attention to detail.

Agricultural engineers are not limited in their areas of service and can therefore work in a wide range of fields, with job functions including management, development and design, consulting, research testing, planning among many other diverse specifications. They can work in large corporations as well as private consultancies, in the government or non governmental organizations.

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