Introduction

Agricultural and Bioresources Engineering is the discipline that deals with the design, production, utilization and management of technical means and processes for the production, storage, treatment and processing of agricultural based goods. As a profession, Agricultural and Bioresources Engineering seeks to apply the principles of Engineering and Technology to the solution of various problems in the biological world, both plant and animal, to design or develop efficient and environmentally sensitive methods for managing and producing food, fiber, timber, and renewable energy for the people of the world. In recent times, the profession has taken names such as Agricultural and Biological Engineering; and Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, to mention but a few.

It has been redefined as the discipline of engineering that applies engineering principles and fundamental concepts of biology to agricultural and biological systems and tools, ranging in scale from molecular to ecosystem level, for safe, efficient and environmentally sensitive production, processing and management of agricultural, biological, food and natural resources systems. It combines the disciplines of Animal Biology, Plant Biology, and Mechanical, Civil, Electrical and Chemical Engineering principles. It involves broader scope engineering in the entire world than any other engineering discipline. In this regard, Agricultural and Bioresources Engineering is an especially challenging and varied profession in which engineering solutions are required for the efficient production of food, feed, fur, fuel and fiber under a whole range of environmental conditions and production practices. The varied areas of practice include;

1. Processing and utilization of agricultural products as food and fodder, as well as alternative energy sources (solar and biomass) or bio-renewable products.
2. The technology of treatment, upgrading and recycling of bio-materials to serve as soil improving or fertilizing materials
3. Responsibility for planning, implementation and maintenance of rural infrastructure (roads, water supply, transport, electricity, cottage industries, etc.) for enhancement of rural living.
4. Ensuring that the world has the necessities of life including safe and plentiful food, clean water, renewable fuel and energy, safe working conditions and a healthy environment.
5. Soil and water conservation technology (erosion control, tillage, irrigation, drainage structures), landscape maintenance, biological waste management and maintenance of public services like clearing of ditches and cutting of hedges.
6. Automated computer-aided control systems and robotics in field and post-harvest operations, food processing and in animal production, as well as bio-resource engineering, which has machines and nanobots on the molecular level to help the environment.
7. The design of agricultural machinery, equipment, and agricultural structures, processes and systems.
8. Care and processing of poultry and dairy and fish management as well as forestry products.

The traditional fields of Agricultural Engineering are generally those of Power and Machinery (tractors, field implements) Structures (livestock housing, crop storage and processing facilities) and Soil and Water (irrigation, erosion control, drainage). As stated earlier, in recent times, Agricultural Engineers have professionally become involved in many other areas in which the principles of engineering are applied to bio-systems such as food engineering (processing and packaging), Environmental Engineering, Biological Waste Management and Pollution Control and Energy Sources (solar and biomass).

Other technical divisions of Agricultural and Bioresources Engineering include: Aquacultural Engineering, Biological Engineering, Ergonomics, Safety and Health, Food Engineering, Forest Engineering, Information and Electrical Technologies, Environmental Engineering, and other emerging areas which all intersect and overlap.

The present level of Nigeria’s Agricultural development requires now, more than ever before, the application and control of engineering principles (including power in several forms), the use of growing varieties of materials, and the improvement in technical processing to raise productivity and efficiency and to reduce its requirements of human labour. The Agricultural & Bioresources Engineer must therefore be trained to play a prominent role in the application of the physical principles of Engineering to Nigerian Agriculture.