This book presents the state-of-the-art information on the important innovations in the agricultural and horticultural industry. It reviews and presents different novel technologies and implementation of these technologies to optimize farming processes and food production. There are four sections, each addressing a specific area of development. Section I discusses the recent development of farm machinery and technology. Section II focuses on water and irrigation engineering. Section III covers harvesting and post-harvest technology. Section IV describes computer modelling and simulation. Each section highlights current industry trends and latest research progress. This book is ideal for those working in or are associated with the fields of agriculture, agri-food chain and technology development and promotion.
Dr Guangnan Chen is currently an Associate Professor in agricultural engineering at the University of Southern Queensland, Australia. He graduated from the University of Sydney with a PhD degree in 1994. Before joining the University of Southern Queensland in early 2002, he worked for two years as a post-doctoral fellow and more than five years in a private consulting company based in New Zealand.
Dr Chen teaches and researches in the subjects of agricultural machinery, agricultural materials and post-harvest technologies, agricultural soil mechanics, and sustainable agriculture. He has so far published more than 100 papers in various international journals and conferences, including two edited books and 10 invited book chapters. He is currently also the Secretary of Board of Technical Section IV (Energy in Agriculture), CIGR (Commission Internationale du Genie Rural), which is one of the world’s top professional bodies in agricultural and biosystems engineering.