Aligning the Goals of Agricultural Engineering Curriculum for Sustainable Farming

Abstract

Agricultural engineering emerged as a cross-discipline between engineering and agriculture. There was a global need to motivate and prepare students to face the new challenges in agriculture related to the rising world population, increasing crop productivity, and reducing disease impacts. There are several versions of curriculum tested effectively in agricultural engineering that prepare students in the basics of engineering while inculcating the breadth of topics related to agriculture. Our review article discusses the topics in agricultural engineering and the coursework provided to students, along with the capstone projects and internship opportunities for students. The range of educational topics and laboratory resources are surprisingly quite in number covering everything from precision agriculture and water quality to waste management and agricultural drones. We hope this article helps readers better assess the benefits and impacts of agricultural engineering for our future generations.