Automation in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering

During the industrial revolution, agriculture saw a tremendous improvement in the way it was done. For the first time in the history of agriculture, steam and internal combustion engines were used to carry out laborious on-site farm activities, the first milling machines were built, and several other hitherto manually operated and tiresome operations were mechanized. Since then, however, just like in other fields, the industrial revolution has served as a turning point in the way things are done. Continuous research was carried out in a quest for more improvements and developments. Agricultural machinery has never seen as much improvement as it has in the technological age, which started around the mid-twentieth century. Transformations occurred in the way agricultural machines are being built, and one of the most significant transformations is the automation incorporated into machines such as harvesters, ploughing machines, and irrigation systems. Each of these machines has made their dedicated operations easier, faster, and more efficient, and with little human supervision. Traditional manual machines were also known to make work easier, faster, and more efficient, but not without the full supervision of man. Automation, however, ensures that work is carried out more efficiently by making machines work on their own accord, precisely and accurately, with very little or no human supervision. This research was carried out utilizing literature reviews on other earlier researches to show more clearly how agricultural machines have been automated in developed countries and to suggest how they can be emulated by a developing country like Nigeria. Nigeria, as a developing country blessed with resources, can rise and become the next great nation by fully harnessing the power of automation in agriculture.