1. Agricultural Engineers
FUTURE JOBS READERS
Level 4-④
Agricultural Engineers

2. What Is an Agricultural Engineer?
Technology developed for farming
What is an agricultural engineer?
Agricultural engineers use technology and the science of raising animals and growing plants to feed the world’s growing population.

3. Agricultural Engineers at Work
What kinds of things do agricultural engineers design?
Agricultural engineers design ways for commercial farmers to use technology to grow healthier, stronger, and more nutritious crops. They also design buildings or structures with agricultural functions.
A cow barn
A fish farm
What kinds of building or structures do they design?
Barns to keep animals safe and healthy
Ponds for commercial fish farms

4. Is there a big need for agricultural engineers?
The Largest Industry
Inspecting agricultural equipment
A corn field
Is there a big need for agricultural engineers?
Yes, there is. Agriculture is the largest industry in the world!

5. Jobs for an Agricultural Engineer
What is an example of a project an agricultural engineer might work on?
Designing an irrigation system for a farm raising corn is one example of project. This project includes
visiting the farm to inspect the crop that will need the system.
drawing plans for the system.
recommending an above-ground or below-ground system.
Planning crop irrigation
Sketching design plans
Above-ground irrigation lines

6. Other Kinds of Projects
What other kinds of projects might an agricultural engineer work on?
A feeding system for chickens
A greenhouse
Designing feed systems for farm animals
Designing greenhouses where crops can be grown

7. The Importance of Agricultural Engineering
Why is agricultural engineering important?
Grain silos near a farming community
In the future, it is estimated that the number of people in the world will rise. This means we will need more and more food to feed everyone.
Using new technology to grow crops
How can agricultural engineers help?
They can find new ways to use technology to grow more food from the same amount of land.

8. Technology and Machines
What kind of technology is being used on farms?
Smart tractors that are driven by data from satellites
Drones that can scan crops for diseases or other problems
Agbots (agricultural robots) that do dirty, dangerous, and repetitive work on farms
Using a drone to spray crops
How a smart tractor system works
An agbot designed by Amazone GmbH & Co. KG

9. Vocabulary barn n. drone n.
a building on a farm where animals are kept
drone n.
a flying machine without a pilot

10. Vocabulary estimate v. greenhouse n. to make a guess about something
a building made of glass, where plants are grown indoors

11. Vocabulary irrigation n. nutritious adj.
bringing water to plants, crops, etc.
nutritious adj.
containing substances needed for life and growth

12. Vocabulary satellite n. tractor n.
a machine in space that sends and receives data
tractor n.
a vehicle on a farm used for pulling farm equipment