AGRICULTURAL, BIOSYSTEMS
AND ENVIRONMENTAL
ENGINEERING
Welcome!
National Ag Day 2012
Where we came
from
The good old days—they
were terrible!
—Norman Borlaug
A civilization will
flourish only when it
can produce food in
excess of farmers’
needs
—Author unknown
Photos: USDA-NRCS
Where we are
today
Photos: Gabriele Onorato
Used under a Creative Commons License
Some measures of success
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US agricultural output quadrupled between 1930 and
2000, while aggregate inputs remained similar (Gardner, 2003)
21.5% of Americans were directly employed in
agriculture in 1930 — in 2000 it was less than 2% (Dmitri et
al., 2005)
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320,000 farm operators (0.1% of population) produce
90% of US agricultural output (Conkin, 2008)
In 1930, there were 18.7 work animals and 920,000
tractors — by 1970, tractors had essentially replaced
animal power (Dmitri et al., 2005)
In 1900, it took 147 hours of labor to produce 100
bushels of corn — it took 3 hours in 1990 (Conkin, 2008)
Success comes at a cost
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Air and water pollution
Reliance on fossil fuels
Unsustainable water use
Health effects of agricultural chemicals
Impact of intensive agriculture on ecological
services
Finding Solutions for Life on a Small Planet
• World population expected to hit 9
billion by 2050
• Growing world population requires
more food, water, energy, goods
• Limited resources demand we do more
with less, without degrading our natural
world
Specialty
Areas
Food and Bioprocess Engineering
Information & Electrical Systems
Structures & Environment
Biological Engineering
Natural Resources
Energy
Forest Engineering
Aquacultural Engineering
Safety, Health, Ergonomics
Nursery & Greenhouse Engineering
Power Systems & Machinery Design
Biological Engineering
Applying engineering practice to problems
and opportunities presented by living things
and the environment
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Pest control
Hazardous waste treatment
Environmental protection
Bioinstrumentation
Bioimaging
Medical implants and devices
Plant-based pharmaceuticals and
packaging materials
Natural Resources
Improving conservation by understanding the
complex mechanics of soil and water
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Wetlands protection
Water control structures: dams,
reservoirs, floodways
Drainage
Erosion control
Pesticide and nutrient runoff
Crop water requirements
Water treatment systems
Irrigation
Food and Process Engineering
Using microbiological processes to develop useful products, treat
municipal, industrial, and agricultural wastes, and improve food safety
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Packaging, storage,
transportation of perishable
products
Pasteurization, sterilization,
irradiation techniques
Food processing techniques &
technologies
Biomass fuels
Nutraceuticals, phamaceuticals
Biodegradable packaging
materials
Information &
Electrical Technologies
Perhaps the most versatile specialty area, it’s
applied to virtually all others
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Global positioning systems
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Machine instrumentation and controls
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Data acquisition and
“Bioinformatics”—
biorobotics, machine
vision, sensors,
spectroscopy
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Electromagnetics
Structures & Environment
Engineering a healthy environment for living things
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Animal housing
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Grain storage
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Waste storage, recovery, reuse, transport
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Climate, ventilation, disease control systems
Power Systems & Machinery Design
Improving efficiency and conservation in agricultural, food, and
biological systems
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Agricultural tractors, combines, implements,
and transportation equipment
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Turf and landscape equipment
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Equipment for special crops
• Irrigation equipment
• Farmstead equipment
• Food processing equipment
Energy
Developing renewable energy sources, devising energy conservation
strategies to reduce costs and protect the environment
• Devising new ways of meeting the
energy needs of agriculture
• Meeting the energy needs of the
general population by using
agricultural products and byproducts
• Biomass, methane, vegetable oils
• Wind and solar energy
Aquacultural Engineering
Preserving our natural fish populations and habitats through improved
aquacultural practices.
• System design for fish farms
• Water quality, machinery, feeding,
ventilation
• Pollution reduction and water conservation
• Ecological reuse or disposal of waste
• Product harvesting, sorting and processing
Nursery & Greenhouse Engineering
A microcosm of large-scale production agriculture, with similar needs
• Irrigation, mechanization
• Disease and pest control
• Temperature, humidity, ventilation control
• Plant biology: tissue culture, seedling
propagation, hydroponics
Forestry
Applying engineering principles to forestry management and
conservation
• Machine-soil interaction and erosion control
• Operations analysis and improvement
• Equipment design
• Wood product design
• Access systems design and construction
Safety, Health and Ergonomics
Making agriculture safer, more efficient, and more economical
• Compile and analyze health and injury
data
• Standardize equipment for component
compatibility
• Encourage safe use of machinery,
equipment, and materials through better
design and better communication
Definition
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Agricultural and Biological Engineering is the
discipline of engineering that applies engineering
principles and the fundamental concepts of biology
to agricultural and biological systems and tools,
ranging in scale from molecular to ecosystem level,
for the safe, efficient and environmentally sensitive
production, processing, and management of
agricultural, biological, food, and natural resources
systems.
Source: http://www.asabe.org/news-public-affairs/about-this-profession.aspx
Working with Nature
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Same equations — different application
Systems approach
Understand natural and biological processes
Inherent variation in our “media”
Biological components integrated in everything we
do
Sustainability
 Balance
Environmental, Economic, and Societal Benefits
Example
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Like other farmers in the West, Roger Barton must
irrigate the alfalfa hay he raises for horse owners. And
like many farmers, Barton has to be creative to make
ends meet. When diesel costs rose to $4.25 per gallon
a couple of years ago, Barton came up with a new,
non-diesel-powered way to run his center pivot
irrigation system. With the help of a Conservation
Innovation Grant from NRCS, Barton worked with a
pump company and NRCS engineers to design a
hydroturbine system that generates electricity to power
his pivot irrigation system. (USDA-NRCS website)
Agricultural and Biosystems
Engineering at SDSU
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Water and Climate
Animal Production Systems
Machinery
Food and Fuel Processing
Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering
Water & Climate
Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering
Food & Bio-Renewable Processing
Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering
Animal Production Systems
Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering
Agricultural Machinery Engineering
Biological and Agricultural Engineers—
what do they do?
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Devise practical, efficient solutions for producing, storing,
transporting, processing, and packaging agricultural products
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Solve problems related to systems, processes,
and machines that interact with humans, plants,
animals, microorganisms, and biological materials
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Develop solutions for responsible, alternative
uses of agricultural products, byproducts and
wastes and of our natural resources - soil, water,
air, and energy
Water
and
Climate
Measure
water
flow rate
Food and
Fuel
Processing
Check
steam
pressure
Check the
material
handling
line
Test water
quality
Inspect
construction
progress
Test dust
concentration
Bust a truss
Test sprayer
uniformity
Test engine
performance
Machinery
Animal
Production
Systems
Who Employs Agricultural and
Biological Engineers
3M
Abbott Labs
AGCO
Anheuser Busch
Archer Daniels Midland
BASF
Briggs & Stratton
Campbell's Soup
Caterpillar
CH2M Hill
Case Corp
Dole
Dow Chemical
Exxon Mobil
Florida Light & Power
Ford Motor Co
General Mills
Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance
John Deere
Kellogg's
Lockheed Martin
M & M Mars
Monsanto
Morton Buildings
NASA
New Holland
Ralston Purina
Sunkist
USDA Agricultural Research Service
USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service
US Department of Energy
US Environmental Protection Agency
Source: ASABE. http://www.asabe.org/news-public-affairs/about-this-profession.aspx
Agricultural and Biosystems Engineers
in the Community
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NRCS
 Engineering
Staff in South Dakota
 Huron
State Office
 Brookings Field Support Office
 Pierre Field Support Office
 Rapid City Field Support Office
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Other government agencies
 South
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Dakota DENR
Consulting Engineers
Agricultural and Biosystems Engineers
in the Community
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Equipment
 Buhler
Industries – Salem
 Equipment Dealers
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Precision Ag
 Raven
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Industries
Ag Structures
 Landmark
Builders
Agricultural and Biosystems Engineers
in the Community
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Fuel Processing
 POET
– Sioux Falls (Headquarters)
 Valero
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Food Processing
 Davisco
 Bel
Brands
 Hormel
Making the World a Better Place
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Producing and
Processing Food, Feed,
and Fuel
Managing and
Protecting our
Environment and
Natural Resources
Water
and
Climate
Food and
Fuel
Processing
Managing and
Protecting our
Environment
and Natural
Resources
Producing and
Processing
Food, Feed,
and Fuel
Machinery
Animal
Production
Systems
www.asabe.org
Safe and
abundant food
and water
Timber and fiber for
shelter and clothing
A healthy environment in
which to live
Plentiful and
renewable
energy resources