Agricultural Engineering: Principles & Practice

Agricultural engineering principles and practices is an exposition on a previous work titled; fundamental principles of agricultural engineering practice published by same author in 2007 which only explored aspects of principles of agricultural engineering with less emphasis on production practices engaged in at every level of agricultural operations. Thus the book gave a narrowed outlook of agricultural engineering fundamentals, which is not adequate for providing relevant information in practice with agricultural engineering background undertaking at all levels of engineering training in the university, polytechnic and colleges. Hence, the book has been enlarged in scopes and packaged in 2 volume titles (11 chapters in Volume I and 9 chapters in Volume II). Volume (I) has three parts that addresses fundamental aspects of agricultural engineering: Part 1 has six chapters comprising of agricultural engineering development, issues on agricultural mechanization, management of engineering utilities, economics of machine use, farm power and agricultural machinery and development. Part 2, in 3 chapters, addresses all aspects of site surveying, land clearing undertakings and landform development, various agricultural practices, and tillage operations. Part 3 has 2 chapters on crop planting operations and establishment practices. Various planting patterns and characteristics, equipment types and planter component descriptions are features x-rayed in this section. Chapters 10 and 11 dwells much on post planting operations involving crop thinning, fertilizer application, pest and weed control programme, and new development in chemical and fertilizer application as well as integrated pest control management. The scope of agricultural practice is inexhaustible and that informs a continual development and expansion of knowledge as advancements takes place.