Agricultural engineering education and research in knowledge-based economy

Engineering and technological innovations such as electromechanical equipment and process engineering have played significant roles in transforming agriculture and other land-based activities into modern industries that produce diverse range of top quality products and services. This success has been characterized by extensive mechanization of agricultural operations to increase cultivated areas and land-use intensity through the application of improved mechanical systems such as the tractor and protected structures for animal housing and crop cultivation. Progress in this era was driven principally by the availability of more efficient engine power and engine-powered mechanical devices for tillage, material handling and agro-processing. Agricultural industries and agricultural engineering education and research face new challenges in a modern global economy that is increasingly knowledge-intensive and information-driven. Under the new dispensation, information becomes the 'engine' that powers future technological innovations in agriculture. In this article, we discuss a triad of emerging technological innovations (information and communication, biotechnology, and nanotechnology) that are underpinning the advancement of knowledge economies. A framework is outlined for greater attention to this techno-triad in agricultural and biosystems engineering education and research. Future graduates and professional agricultural and biosystems engineers must be prepared to undertake leadership roles in the fusion of this techno-triad in sustainable agriculture to develop and apply cost-effective supply chain technologies to manage variability (product and environmental), reduce production and transaction costs and maintain traceability in smart agriculture.