Research Assessment #6
Date: 27 October 2017
Topic: Agriculture
MLA Citation:
Lyndsey Gilpin October 13, 2014, 4:00 AM PST. “Why Engineers Are Critical to the Future of Sustainable Farming.” TechRepublic, www.techrepublic.com/article/why-engineers-are-critical-to-the-future-of-sustainable-farming/.
For centuries agriculture has been a very important part of the United States economy. Ever since America shifted its focus to farming the technology is constantly evolving. Whether is was the invention of the cotton gin or the lawn mower mechanical engineering principle can be seen throughout the history of agriculture. Even though these inventions were not all made by a technical engineer the people who made them had the eye to see something that can positively affect the way the United States looks at agriculture. Now the United States has continually improved how they look at agriculture and is one of the best agricultural countries in the world.
One of the main problems was the manual labor that it took a lot of people to man a farm. New ideas were being put to action which is when we got Eli Whitney’s cotton gin. It was able to speed up the process of separating the seeds from cotton. This was arguably the best technological advancement in the history of agriculture. Later on, it today's world we are seeing machines powered by the sun and the rate of production has been drastically improved. Engineers are going to be a key component in the advancement of the world's agriculture because they have the sort of “thinking mind” that is needed to make the products that are needed to be made. They have the ability to change one of the most vital, if not the most vital, parts in the success of the United States and even the world because they have the ability to think of the ideas that could eventually lead to something great.
I have chosen to look at this topic because I am trying to explore the broad field of engineering. Living in Texas I have always been around agriculture. I have seen cities being built around farms because of its economic success. This article was able to show me how engineers can make a difference in the world of agriculture because they can fix problems. I feel that this could be another option to keep my eye on because I would have the chance to help our economy thrive. Engineering is a job that every company needs because of their ability to problem solve and their creative mind that is able to solve any problem. An engineer can be able to design a certain machine that can work faster, be more precise, or plant more crops that the machines that are in use now.
All in all mechanical engineering is a key component in the overall well being of the agriculture in the united states and can boost the economy as well. They are able to do this by being able to work with the farmers to create a new product that can improve productivity as in the amount of crops it plants, the time it takes, and make a machine that is better for the environment. This could be another path to follow because I would be able to stay close to home and be able to help people in need.
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