Backing a Winner—The Engineer's Contribution to UK Agriculture

Abstract

After briefly outlining the nature and importance of agriculture in the UK, attention is focused on the part played during the post-war revival by the agricultural engineer. Looking to the future the main body of the paper illustrates, via examples involving different engineering disciplines, how the research and development engineer is using analytical and experimental techniques to facilitate the design and development of improved machinery and systems. Modern measurement and control techniques offer new opportunities both to the researcher and, via the agricultural engineer, to the farmer. Although the early dramatic phases of mechanization are over, it is shown that agricultural engineering continues to offer exciting challenges to young engineers to contribute to a vital industry.