Introduction to Agricultural Engineering: Concepts and Applications is a comprehensive and practical textbook designed to introduce students and readers to the fundamental principles, technologies, and applications of agricultural engineering. The book presents agricultural engineering as an interdisciplinary field that integrates engineering, agriculture, energy, water management, farm mechanization, food processing, renewable energy, and emerging digital technologies.

Beginning with the scope, importance, divisions, educational background, and career opportunities in agricultural engineering, the book progressively explains farm mechanization, sources of farm power, internal combustion engines, tractors, and power tillers. It provides detailed coverage of agricultural machinery used for tillage, land preparation, sowing, planting, weeding, fertilizer application, plant protection, harvesting, threshing, and post-harvest operations.

Special attention is given to renewable energy systems, including solar, wind, biomass, hydropower, geothermal, and tidal energy, along with their applications in agriculture. The book also discusses soil and water conservation, water harvesting, irrigation methods, irrigation-water measurement, drainage systems, water-lifting devices, watershed management, and agricultural structures.

The text further explores post-harvest management, food processing, food preservation, moisture determination, primary processing, storage of durable and perishable commodities, cereal and pulse milling, drying, dehydration, evaporation, concentration, food packaging, and value addition. Modern topics such as artificial intelligence, data analytics, and sensors are also introduced, highlighting their growing importance in agriculture, food processing, and supply-chain management. These areas are included in the book’s final chapters on AI, data analytics, and sensor technologies.

With its systematic organization, application-oriented approach, and coverage of both conventional and emerging technologies, this book is useful for undergraduate students of agricultural engineering, agriculture, farm technology, food technology, and allied disciplines. It will also serve as a valuable reference for teachers, researchers, extension professionals, technicians, and practitioners involved in agricultural production, resource management, farm machinery, renewable energy, irrigation, and agro-processing.

Prof. Sanjaya K Dash has obtained his B. Tech. (Agril. Engg.) from OUAT in 1987, M. Eng. (Ag.) from Rajasthan Agriculture University in 1989 and Ph.D. from IARI, New Delhi in 1999. He worked at Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), Bhubaneswar in different capacities from 1990 to 2025, which include the position of Dean of Agricultural Engineering during 2017-2025, Dean, PGF-cum-DRI and Dean, Students’ Welfare. In addition, he ably shouldered the important responsibilities of the Dean, Industry and Academia Affairs, Chairman, Technology Management Cell and the Nodal Officer, State Level Technical Institute, PMFME, Odisha and Head, Dept. of Processing and Food Engineering at OUAT.

Prof. Dash has ten books with ISBN, five book chapters, 12 course manuals, six policy papers, 85 research publications, and more than one hundred fifty popular technical articles to his credit. Most of his authored books are included as text/ reference books in different SAUs/ technical universities. One of his book was conferred the Best Book Award by ISAE for 2019.

Prof. Dash has worked as a member of many national committees. He has been a reviewer for many national/ international journals and a member of many project evaluation committees. Prof. Dash has visited Israel (under MASHAV fellowship), Germany (under DAAD fellowship), Netherlands (under NUFFIC fellowship), USA (under Indo-US AKI program and under NAIP), and Canada under different professional assignments.

He has received many awards for his professional contributions, which include the Samanta Chandrasekhar Award (Govt. of Odisha) during 2018, Commendation medal from ISAE during 2014, and Best Teacher Award of OUAT during 2008. He has been conferred with the Fellowships of Indian Society of Agricultural Engineers (ISAE) and Institution of Engineers (I) and Senior Professional Engineer status by the Engineering Council of India.

Prof. Dash has served as the Director, Processing, Dairy and Food Engineering section of the Indian Society of Agricultural Engineers (ISAE) during 2019-21. Presently he is continuing as the Director (Education, Research and Extension) of ISAE and as a Member, Executive Council of the Odisha Bigyan Academy.

Prof. Pitam Chandra retired as Director, ICAR-Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal in 2014. He was Assistant Director General (Proc. Engg.) at Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi during 2003-2009. Dr Chandra received his doctorate from Cornell University, USA in 1979 and MS from University of Manitoba, Canada in 1976. He received his Bachelor of Technology (Hon) in Agricultural Engineering with Vice Chancellor’s Gold Medal from GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pant Nagar in 1974.

He worked as a Post-doctoral Research Associate at North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA during 1979-80 before accepting the position of Associate Professor at Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh (erstwhile Gujarat Agricultural University). Dr Chandra has been successful in introducing appropriate greenhouse technology in India, leading to intensification of horticultural production in the country and export of flowers from India. He, along with his PG students, demonstrated that greenhouses could be successfully used as solar dryers; especially, for horticultural produce. He played a catalytic role in initiating the first ever comprehensive nation-wide post-harvest loss assessment study and presented the results to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture. Dr Chandra actively participated in the establishment of the National Phytotron Facility at IARI New Delhi, the first such research facility in India and became its founder-head. Dr Pitam Chandra continued to teach after retirement, first at National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management, Sonepat (2014-17) and then at Sharda University, Greater Noida (2019-22).He continues to be professionally active by way of participation in various committees, impact assessments, policy formulations, etc.

It was for his efforts in greenhouse technology that he received the prestigious Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Award (2002) from Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi. Dr Pitam Chandra received Prof. Gajendra Singh ISAE Education Gold Medal 2024 and Eminent Engineer Award from the Institution of Engineers (I) in 2016. Fellows of National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, New Delhi; Indian Society of Agricultural Engineering, New Delhi; and the Institution of Engineers (I), Kolkata, Dr Pitam Chandra has more than 250 research papers and 10 books to his credit.

Chapter 1: Agricultural Engineering as a Discipline

Chapter 2: Farm Mechanization Needs and Strategy

Chapter 3: Sources and Status of Farm Power

Chapter 4: Equipment for Tillage and Land Preparation

Chapter 5: Equipment for Sowing and Planting

Chapter 6: Equipment for Weeding

Chapter 7: Equipment for Applying Fertilizers

Chapter 8: Equipment for Application of Plant Protection Materials

Chapter 9: Harvesting and Threshing Equipment

Chapter 10: Internal Combustion Engines

Chapter 11: Tractor and Power Tiller

Chapter 12: Renewable Energy Systems

Chapter 13: Soil and Water Conservation

Chapter 14: Water Harvesting

Chapter 15: Irrigation Methods

Chapter 16: Measurement of Irrigation Water

Chapter 17: Water Drainage Systems

Chapter 18: Water Lifting Devices

Chapter 19: Watershed Management

Chapter 20: Agricultural Structures

Chapter 21: Importance and Scope of Post-Harvest Management and Food Processing

Chapter 22: Food Spoilage and General Methods for Preservation and Value Addition

Chapter 23: Moisture Content in Foods and its Determination

Chapter 24: Primary Processing Operations

Chapter 25: Storage of Durable Commodities

Chapter 26: Milling of Cereals, Pulses and Oil-seeds

Chapter 27: Storage of Perishables

Chapter 28: Food Preservation by Heating

Chapter 29: Food Preservation by Drying and Dehydration

Chapter 30: Food Preservation by Evaporation/Concentration

Chapter 31: Other Methods of Food Processing and Value Addition

Chapter 32: Food Packaging

Chapter 33: Applications of Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics in Agriculture

Chapter 34: Sensors

Further reading

Annexures

Answers to objective questions

Index