Agriculture and the environment : new challenges for engineers

Agriculture is embedded into global trends, national legislation, and public demands. The paper starts with a collection of mainstream needs and global trends. Furthermore the demands on agriculture, formulated by different groups, are compiled. Agricultural engineering can contribute to sustainable (competitive, protecting the environment, socially compatible) production techniques by design of intelligent machinery (mechatronics) and applications of biological engineering. Some examples from animal husbandry (voice analysis; computerized air flow simulations) are presented. Applications in communication and energetic use of agricultural products are addressed, too.