Agricultural Systems And Engineering (ASE)

Agricultural systems with biological components interacting with social and economic elements are extremely complex in nature. This course is designed to introduce concepts and techniques of systems analysis in an agricultural context and to illustrate the value of holistic approach through a number of quite different case studies. The manager or the administrator of such a system constantly looks forward to those techniques or methods, which helps him in planning, scheduling and controlling the activities in the system. The course should help students in identifying rational ways to improve the efficiency of agricultural systems.

This course is essential for practicing design engineers, providing combined theoretical and practical techniques as well as using computer graphic design that can improve the design efficiency and improvement in performance of agricultural equipment through standard testing and evaluation. Students will have their opportunities to use engineering principle, innovation and computer aided design to develop selected machine and tool that appropriated to agricultural production in most of Asia.

Increased food production depends on judicious use of the changes of the environment, how they could be modified by land-management practices, and their consequences for land productivity. available agro-ecological resources. Therefore, maintenance of vegetation, management of pests, conservation and efficient management of soil, water and nutrients, and plant-residue management are essential components of appropriate land utilization. The selection of suitable crops and cropping systems and their management require knowledge of the climatic, physical and biotic determinants of plant growth, both in terms of their magnitude and quality. This course provides information on short-term and long-term.

Crop productivity depends on eco-physiological conditions and crop management practices, and their interactions. Crops respond differently to soil and climatic conditions. The selection of suitable crops and crop-management practices for given geographical locations is critical for the sustainability of crop productivity. Crop productivity management demands a systems approach. Hence, understanding soil and aerial environments and their variability, performance of crops under such changing conditions while maintaining soil parameters that govern soil productivity are important in the overall management of crop productivity. This course provides students with an understanding of soil productivity, the dynamics of soil processes and their relevance for biomass production of crops.

To provide a framework for better understanding the operation and management of farming system by the subsistence and semi-subsistence farm household in the Asian region by (i) incorporation of the use of tools of farm management analysis in solving local problems, (ii) demonstration of the relationship of farm management research to policy formulation and its impact on farmers’ income; and, (iii) development of the students’ awareness of farm problems in different countries.

Precision agriculture is a new concept in production. The course aims to educate students to deal with the comprehensive approach to crop production planning and implementation. It deals with three key elements: information and advanced agricultural technologies, and management.

Knowledge of soil-water interactions is necessary to understand the crop water response to inputs. Similarly, to design the mechanisms or systems and tools used in for off-road conditions and in soils knowledge of tillage and traction theories is essential. This course is designed to upgrade students with related theories and practices.

There is no substitute for careful experimentation as well as analyses techniques interpreting experimental data in many areas of basic research and applied product development. It is mandatory to use reliable instruments and to follow standard procedures to obtain accurate results in experimental research. This course is designed to give students a sufficient background of analytical and experimental considerations of various instruments and how to use them for the measurement of various parameters some of which they might come across in their thesis research and further professional activities.

Intensive agricultural production in controlled environment is becoming popular to overcome limitations of agricultural land and vagaries of nature, especially for the production of high value crops. The objective of the course is to provide understanding of the factors involved in greenhouse and nursery production of high value crops and plants.

Crop responses to physical, biotic and management parameters determine the magnitude and quality of yield. Physiological parameters determine the net assimilation in a crop system. Knowledge of physical, biotic and management parameters and their interactions will help ensure optimal productivity of cropping systems. Computer simulation models of the soil/crop/atmosphere system help understand the processes determining crop responses to changes in system components, predict crop performance under different location-specific conditions, and guide management decisions.

Integrated pest management (IPM) has become the conceptual basis for small- and large-scale plant protection programs, throughout Asia. This course emphasizes the ecological basis of pest management, the techniques and experiences involved and place them in context with socio-economic aspects. Therefore, this course will be offered to provide guidance on how to approach pest management in its entirety and how to practically handle a case using a learning cycle approach, experimentation based on science.

To develop an understanding of the role of agriculture sector on economic growth and its policy impact on food security, income distribution and environmental improvement which are essential for sustainable development.

Agricultural production systems differ widely in terms of their operations and performance. Selection of appropriate production system is largely influenced by (and vice-versa, affects to) the region’s prevailing demography, environment, economy and infrastructure which eventually determines the status of poverty and food security. This course provides broad knowledge of the various farm production activities carried out by suitable agricultural machines and equipment – in the broader context of sustainability. Energy input-output analysis approach is followed to meter and compare different operations and systems on sustainability yardstick.

To impart knowledge on major and emerging issues and viewpoints confronting modern, high-input industrialized agriculture and society in relation to conservation of the soil, environment and sustainable development through effective management of agricultural resources.

Smart irrigation systems can save a huge amount of water and help to achieve agricultural sustainability. A significant amount of water is wasted if traditional irrigation methods are used due to inefficiencies in irrigation, evaporation, and overwatering. Smart irrigation systems use the latest technologies such as sensors/models/IoT devices for real-time or historical data monitoring to provide efficient irrigation schedules. The course provides students with an understanding of applications of smart irrigation technologies to optimize water use for crops. Students will also become familiar with variable rate irrigation (VRI) technology and cropping system modeling. The course aims to educate students to better understand and deal with sensor- and crop-model-based decision support tools for efficient irrigation management using smart irrigation technologies.

For optimum utilization of available agricultural land resources on a sustainable basis, timely and reliable information regarding their nature, extent, spatial distribution, potential and limitations are very important. The efficiency and accuracy of data are improved when remote sensing data products and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are used. The course provides students with an understanding of applications of spatial tools such as Remote Sensing, GIS, and GPS for storing and analyzing spatial data that can help in decision-making in agriculture. Students will also become familiar with applications of Remote Sensing and GIS in the context of agriculture in the assessment of crop area extent, identification of pest infestation, management of water resources, yield assessment studies, agriculture disaster management, and precision agriculture. The course aims to educate students to apply their new skills to one of several case studies in topics on agriculture, pest management, crop monitoring, water resource management, and risk assessment among others.