Agriculture is both the theoretical study and practical application of farming, such as the cultivation of cereals. Following inventions and innovations ranging from the seed drill to fertilizing crops by drone, the past few centuries have seen farming become a science. In the United States, as an example, technological developments have seen the percentage of the population in the farming industry decrease from 69 per cent in 1840 to 4 per cent in 2000.
Agricultural Engineering is the area of engineering concerned with the design, construction and improvement of farming equipment and machinery. Agricultural engineers integrate technology with farming. For example, they design new and improved farming equipment that may work more efficiently, or perform new tasks. They design and build agricultural infrastructure such as dams, water reservoirs, warehouses, and other structures. They may also help engineer solutions for pollution control at large farms. Some agricultural engineers are developing new forms of bio fuels from non-food resources like algae and agricultural waste. Such fuels could economically and sustainably replace gasoline without jeopardizing the food supply.
