Fundamental Definitions and Relationships

Introduction:

Agriculture is one of the oldest known industries to humanity. It is the source of food for the entire human race. Thus, we must understand the fundamental definitions and relationships for building agricultural engineering. Agricultural engineering provides us with a unique opportunity to combine nature and machines directly. It amalgamates several remarkable technical engineering branches such as mechanical, civil, electrical, food science, environmental engineering, software development, and chemical engineering. All the knowledge acquired by us in these fields are then combined with 

1. the already generations-old farming techniques to improve them
2.  or to develop a new-age technology that can revolutionise the agricultural sector. 

 Sub-Disciplines:

It is essential to study the sub-disciplines of agricultural engineering to form a holistic view of the fundamental definitions and relationships in agricultural engineering. Thus the sub-disciplines can be listed as:

• Agricultural surveying is the technique and science of understanding the 3-dimensional features of farmland and the distance between them. These studies are generally used to calculate the area and the locations of the boundaries accurately. It assists us in building aligned canals and also in soil conservation. It is also a vital tool for claiming ownership of farm property.
• Drainage – In agriculture, drainage is one of the defining factors determining the type of crop being grown in that area. Depending on the soil’s water retention capacity, the drainage capacity changes; thus, the crops are grown on it also vary. Drainage is essential for adequately recycling nutrients and the removal of wastes. It can be classified into two types: 
• Surface Drainage System: It is a regular drainage system that works on gravity. It kicks into action as soon as there is excessive rainfall. 
• Sub-Surface Drainage System: In this type, external pumps and sloping channels are used to drain the excess water out of the farmland.

• • Farm machinery and power refer to machines to improve the agricultural sector. It is vital to reduce manpower and improve the crop yield per capita of the human population. Some of the tools and machinery used are:
    • Tractors
    • Combines
    • Planters
    • Sprayers
    • Balers

• Erosion control structure – Soil erosion is a major problem in modern agriculture. Thus various techniques have been implemented to prevent the same. The construction of bunds can stop soil erosion to prevent runoffs carrying away sediments and soil. Windbreaks are built in windy places. Reforestation of barren lands can go a long way in preventing soil erosion. 

• Fertilisers and Pesticides – Fertilisers are natural or synthetic materials that supply essential or complementary nutrients to the plant. It generally focuses on the three major elements necessary for plant growth: Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium, also known as the NPK content of the soil. On the other hand, pesticides are responsible for preventing the attack of pests on the plants—similarly, fungicides, herbicides, etc.

Fundamental Definition and Relationships Formula:

Some standard formulas explaining the fundamental definition and relationships can be stated as follows:

• Fuel consumption:

Fc=qt

Here,

Fc =Fuel consumption (Lit/hr)

  q=Quantity of fuel consumed (lit)

  t= Consumption time (hr)

• Effective field capacity:

C=AT

Here,

C=Field Capacity (ha/hr)

T=total time for the reaping operation (hr)

A=area of the land reaped (ha)

• Theoretical Field capacity: The rate of field coverage would be obtained under the ideal condition of 100 percent power utilisation by the machine. 

Ct=S*w10

Here,

S= Average speed of the machine (km/he)

W= Rated width of the machine (m)

Fundamental Definition and Relationships Example:

Understanding some basic examples of the fundamental definition and relationships is integral towards grasping the concept. Before introducing machines in agriculture, most work was hand-driven, time-consuming, labour-intensive, and inefficient. With the advent of the Industrial Revolution, the agriculture industry was revolutionised. Tractors, threshers, sprayers, etc increased productivity and reduced manpower. 

Similarly, with the advent of steam power, we reduced the use of domestic animals to drive agricultural machinery. Yet the speed was insufficient to make it a good source of power. This problem was solved with the advent of internal combustion engines running on petrol and diesel. Nowadays, most farmers are using tractors running on such fuel sources. Thus we can see how the integration of agriculture and engineering led to the improvement in the lifestyle of a farmer, also improving the production value at reduced prices.  

 Conclusion:

Advancements in agriculture are a must to sustain ourselves. Even today, agriculture is seen as an outdated and slow industry with such advanced technologies. A significant reason for that can be traced to the low income and hence the low capital investment by each farmer, especially in developing and under-developed countries. Thus, we have to strive to improve the technology and machines, reduce the cost, and make it affordable for every farmer. Only by adopting such a healthy and sustainable model will we be able to unlock the true potential hidden within mother earth.