The physical sciences and engineering play an important part in the advance and activities of agriculture and related industries and in the preservation and improvement of rural and amenity environments. This book provides an account of new developments in these disciplines as applied to such industries. Chapters have been commissioned on topics perceived to have made important recent advances, and these are reviewed. The book should therefore be of interest to research workers, lecturers and professionals in agricultural engineering and applied aspects of soil science, horticulture, food science and other disciplines.
This book provides a review of the state-of-the-art of agricultural robotics in different aspects of PA, the goals, and the gaps. The book introduces the area of Agricultural Robotics for Precision Agriculture (PA) specifically the conditions and limitations for implementing robots in this field and presents the concepts, principles, required abilities, components, characteristics and performance measures, conditions, and rules for robots in PA.
This book provides a global review of the mechanisms, incidence and control measures related to the problems of soil compaction in agriculture, forestry and other cropping systems. Among the disciplines which relate to this subject are soil physics, soil mechanics, vehicle mechanics, agricultural engineering, plant physiology, agronomy, pedology, climatology and economics.The volume will be of great value to soil scientists, agricultural engineers, and all those involved with irrigation, drainage and tillage. It will help to facilitate the exchange of information on current work throughout the world, as well as to promote scientific understanding and stimulate the development, evaluation and adoption of practical solutions to these widespread and urgent problems.
This Encyclopedia of Agrophysics will provide up-to-date information on the physical properties and processes affecting the quality of the environment and plant production. It will be a "first-up" volume which will nicely complement the recently published Encyclopedia of Soil Science, (November 2007) which was published in the same series. In a single authoritative volume a collection of about 250 informative articles and ca 400 glossary terms covering all aspects of agrophysics will be presented. The authors will be renowned specialists in various aspects in agrophysics from a wide variety of countries. Agrophysics is important both for research and practical use not only in agriculture, but also in areas like environmental science, land reclamation, food processing etc. Agrophysics is a relatively new interdisciplinary field closely related to Agrochemistry, Agrobiology, Agroclimatology and Agroecology. Nowadays it has been fully accepted as an agricultural and environmental discipline. As such this Encyclopedia volume will be an indispensable working tool for scientists and practitioners from different disciplines, like agriculture, soil science, geosciences, environmental science, geography, and engineering.
Still the most up-to-date, comprehensive, and authoritative book on food diagnostics available Featuring seven entirely new chapters, the second edition of this critically acclaimed guide has been extensively revised and updated. Once again delivering food professionals the latest advances in food diagnostics and analysis, the book approaches the topic in several different ways: reviewing novel technologies to evaluate fresh products; describing and analysing in depth specific modern diagnostics; providing analyses of data processing; and discussing global marketing, with insights into future trends. Written by an international team of experts, this volume not only covers most conventional lab-based analytical methods, but also focuses on leading-edge technologies which are being or are about to be introduced. Advances in Food Diagnostics, Second Edition: Covers ultrasound, RMN, chromatography, electronic noses, immunology, GMO detection and microbiological and molecular methodologies for rapid detection of pathogens Explores the principles and applications of immunodiagnostics in food safety and the use of molecular biology to detect and characterize foodborne pathogens Includes DNA-based and protein-based technologies to detect and identify genetically-modified food or food components Focuses on the translation of diagnostics tests from bench to the market in order to illustrate the benefits to the food industry Provides an overview of the business end of food diagnostics; identifying the markets, delineating the sellers and the buyers, comparing current technology with traditional methods, certifying operations and procedures, and analysing diagnostic devices within the food and related industries This is an indispensable resource for food scientists, food quality analysts, food microbiologists and food safety professionals. It also belongs on the reference shelves of labs conducting food diagnostics for the analysis of the sensory, quality and safety aspects of food.
This title provides a general overview of recent developments and research into types of systems and their uses in the agricultural and horticultural industry. 64 papers are included, containing both theoretical models and applied examples for greenhouse systems, harvesting technology and plant factory systems.
For nearly a century, scientific advances have fueled progress in U.S. agriculture to enable American producers to deliver safe and abundant food domestically and provide a trade surplus in bulk and high-value agricultural commodities and foods. Today, the U.S. food and agricultural enterprise faces formidable challenges that will test its long-term sustainability, competitiveness, and resilience. On its current path, future productivity in the U.S. agricultural system is likely to come with trade-offs. The success of agriculture is tied to natural systems, and these systems are showing signs of stress, even more so with the change in climate. More than a third of the food produced is unconsumed, an unacceptable loss of food and nutrients at a time of heightened global food demand. Increased food animal production to meet greater demand will generate more greenhouse gas emissions and excess animal waste. The U.S. food supply is generally secure, but is not immune to the costly and deadly shocks of continuing outbreaks of food-borne illness or to the constant threat of pests and pathogens to crops, livestock, and poultry. U.S. farmers and producers are at the front lines and will need more tools to manage the pressures they face. Science Breakthroughs to Advance Food and Agricultural Research by 2030 identifies innovative, emerging scientific advances for making the U.S. food and agricultural system more efficient, resilient, and sustainable. This report explores the availability of relatively new scientific developments across all disciplines that could accelerate progress toward these goals. It identifies the most promising scientific breakthroughs that could have the greatest positive impact on food and agriculture, and that are possible to achieve in the next decade (by 2030).
