About Book

Agricultural process engineering involves the application of engineering-ad scientific principles to agricultural production, farm management and management of natural resources. As agriculture becomes increasingly mechanised, it becomes pertinent to consider not just the proper application of the best engineering technology to agriculture, but also its relevance, and agricultural process engineering provides a step in the right direction. Agricultural engineering combines the disciplines of mechanical, civil, electrical, Food science and chemical engineering principles with knowledge of agricultural principles according to technological principles. A key goal of this discipline is to improve the efficacy and sustainability of agricultural practices. This book elucidates the concepts and innovative models around prospective developments with respect to agricultural process engineering. It provides great detail about the fundamental concepts of this subject. It explores various topics such as agricultural technology, geometric modelling methods, plant engineering and precision agriculture. It also deals with agricultural production, image processing in agriculture, agricultural production systems and landscape engineering. While understanding the long-term perspectives of the topics, the book makes an effort in highlighting their impact as a modern tool for the growth of the discipline. Most of the topics introduced in this book cover new devices and technologies related to agricultural engineering. Different approaches, evaluations and methodologies have been included in it. It will serve as a valuable source of reference for students.

Preface............................................................................................................v

Chapter 1 Introductory Chapter: Plant Engineering for the Future Ahead.....1

1. Time to choose the right path............................................................1

2. Brief introduction to the chapters......................................................2

Chapter 2 Decision Maintenance Management Problems in Agriculture Engineering by Constructive Geometric Modeling Methods..........4

Abstract...................................................................................................4

1. Introduction............................................................................................5

2. Development of bulldozer’s multifunctional mold board by

geometric modeling, for increasing its maintenance property....5

3. Integration role of CAD technologies in PLM, including in

maintenance management.................................................................14

4. Visualization of designing process of technical means according

to maintenance criterion....................................................................17

5. Conclusions..........................................................................................19

Chapter 3 Nitrogen Fixation and Transfer in Agricultural Production Systems........................................................................................................21

Abstract.................................................................................................21

1. Introduction..........................................................................................21

2. Biological dinitrogen fixation: importance and economics.........23

3. Management considerations for improving biological dinitrogen

fixation...................................................................................................27

4. Transfer of biologically fixed nitrogen in agricultural production

systems..................................................................................................29

5. Factors affecting nitrogen transfer...................................................30

6. Conclusions..........................................................................................32

Chapter 4 Trends of Engineering Systems Evolution and Agricultural

Technology..................................................................................................41

Abstract.................................................................................................41

1. Introduction..........................................................................................42

2. Following trends in the agriculture technology field

(brief analysis).....................................................................................44

3. Technology forecasting using systematic creativity methods....54

4. Conclusion............................................................................................56

Acknowledgements ..........................................................................57

Chapter 5 Color Analysis and Image Processing Applied in Agriculture.....60

Abstract.................................................................................................60

1. Introduction..........................................................................................61

2. Image processing................................................................................63

3. Color calculations................................................................................66

4. Application of image processing and color analysis of Habanero

chili pepper..........................................................................................67

5. Conclusions..........................................................................................73

Acknowledgements.............................................................................73

Chapter 6 Collaboration in Agri-Value Chains: Building Supplier Production

Capabilities for Productivity Gains.....................................................82

Abstract.................................................................................................82

1. Introduction..........................................................................................83

2. Methodology........................................................................................85

3. Results and discussion.......................................................................88

4. Conclusion............................................................................................96

5. Theoretical and policy contributions..............................................97

Acknowledgements.............................................................................98

Chapter 7 Soil Amendments for Agricultural Production...............................101

Abstract...............................................................................................101

1. Introduction........................................................................................102

2. Justification for using organic amendments in agricultural

production..........................................................................................103

3. Organic farming and the market for organically produced

food......................................................................................................104

4. Vermicomposting..............................................................................109

5. Soil organic carbon and nutritional composition of crops grown

in organic vs. conventional fertilized soil....................................110

6. Heavy metals in organic soil amendments and potential

bioaccumulation in edible plants...................................................114

7. Antibiotics and hormones...............................................................118

8. Microorganisms and soil enzymes................................................120

9. Conclusion..........................................................................................123

Acknowledgments.............................................................................125

Chapter 8 Landscape Engineering, Protecting Soil, and Runoff Storm

Water .........................................................................................................137

1. Introduction........................................................................................137

2. Development of design ..................................................................149

3. Material properties ..........................................................................151

4. Samples preparation, compaction, and tests ...............................154

5. Test results ........................................................................................157

6. Discussion and conclusion ............................................................160

7. Future research ................................................................................161

Acknowledgement ...........................................................................162

Chapter 9 Texture, Color and Frequential Proxy-Detection Image

Processing for Crop Characterization in a Context of Precision

Agriculture................................................................................................169

1. Introduction........................................................................................169

2. Image acquisition system ...............................................................170

3. Proxy-detection image processing for wheat ear counting ....172

4. Proxy-detection image processing for weed-wheat crop

discrimination by hyperspectral imagery....................................184

5. Proxy-detection image processing for seed development and

germination performance of chicory achenes by chlorophyll

fluorescence .......................................................................................188

6. Conclusion..........................................................................................192

Citation......................................................................................................197

Index...........................................................................................................199

About Author

Gülçin Mueller is an Associate Lecturer at Institute of Technology, Haifa. She pursued her Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering from Science Research University, Ankara. Her research areas are agricultural structures, plant science and agricultural resource management. She has written dozens of articles and research papers related to horticulture, crop production, harvesting and agricultural product processing. Mueller is an active member of several scientific and technical societies, where she continues to share her expertise and knowledge in the field of agricultural engineering.