Perfectly Engineered! May 9, 2013

Faculty of Engineering – University of the West Indies. Source: http://www.sta.uwi.edu

This week, another introspective  event takes place as I interview Mr. Robert Birch PHd candidate at the University of the West Indies (UWI) at the Faculty of Engineering.  Mr. Birch has completed his Bsc and MPhil in Agricultural Engineering  at UWI, a program that has since been discontinued at the undergraduate level. However a much more extensive, specific and well structured program exists in the form of a Bsc in Material Engineering with a Minor in Bio systems Engineering.

Keron: Could you briefly tell me about the work of an Agricultural engineer?

Mr. Birch: Previously the agricultural engineer would be trained to solve problems in agriculture and food systems He/she is expected to apply technologies to the field. The sector demands someone who understands structures, materials, water management, soils and other areas. He/She should receive this training from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of the West Indies.

However the agriculture sector in Trinidad has over time been given a negative stigma, leading to a decrease in student application for the program. Therefore the Faculty in its wisdom restructured the Bsc program, re-branding it in order to ensure that when students leave the University that they are employed.

Keron: I understand, the undergraduate program became a special program called Mechanical Engineering with a Minor in Biological Systems. Can you tell me about that programme? I’ve only heard about it once despite attending to this University for quite some time.

Mr. Birch: Students learn the basic engineering concepts in their first two years with courses in, Mathematics, Applied Mechanics, Dynamics & Design, Materials Technology, Instrumentation, Thermodynamics, Control System Technology and so forth. In their final year they branch off in an in-depth fashion into Mechanical Engineering with emphasis on Bio-systems. Environmental Engineering, Food Engineering, Soil & Water engineering, Electro-mechanical conversion, Engineering Management, Maintenance and Safety Engineering are compulsory courses whereas other courses such as Traction & Power hydraulics, Field machinery, Post Harvest Technology, Irrigation and Drainage Engineering and Basic Engineering infrastructure are electives.

This allows the student to function as a Mechanical engineer and as a Bio systems Engineer. Therefore, in addition to their Mechanical Engineering degree, they understand how living things work and how man made systems can interact with them. Students also work closely with professionals in the relevant industries and are given free range in their final year projects which tests much of their learning

Keron: Therefore if students are truly learning and the program is catering to the needs of the real world of work, won’t they be of great benefit to the local agricultural sector?

Mr. Birch: Yes they can function as agricultural engineers as well as engineers in other traditional fields such as the energy, construction, services and manufacturing etc. They are referred to as Mechanical engineers. So in fact just the name change from agricultural engineering to mechanical & bio-systems engineering has opened the door for our students simply due to the negative stigma on the agri sector.

Keron: In that case, how do these students make an impact on agriculture if they are primed for other industries?

Mr. Birch: Students have created some interesting designs such as food dryers and contraptions that can truly benefit the value added process. Machines such as the Cassava peeler, chataigne peeler and dasheen peeler have all been successful projects. We work with agri stakeholders such as the Trinidad and Tobago Agribusiness Association to see what are the needs. Remember students learn multiple skills making them suitable for multiple industries including agriculture.

Keron: Well, as I mentioned earlier Mr. Birch, I come from the Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, over at the Faculty of Food and Agriculture. I feel there is a disconnect between our faculties and even within the departments of my own faculty. What do you think of students like myself doing courses in engineering?

Mr. Birch: We welcome any student who wishes to learn the Mechanical and Mechanical with Bio-systems Engineering. However, the students should understand the requirements of the courses. These courses are carefully planned and involved certain concepts such as Calculus and linear Algebra, strengths of materials, dynamics, thermodynamics etc that must be learned gradually. Basic Engineering builds on itself and this must be understood to make a real world impact in which complex theories are needed. If they truly wish to learn, they should begin from year one.

If a student wishes to enroll in a course they should seek advice from our experienced coordinators as well as the course lecturer before enrollment  But it will be a pleasure to see students from other faculties engaging in some of our courses especially our bio-systems courses. They could be allowed to do one or two Bio-systems courses, but they should find out from the individual lecturers and the Head of the Department first.

Keron: Mr. Birch thank you for the information. Much appreciated.

This brings us to the end of the interview. Much was learned, especially on my end, right here under my own University. Hope you did as well! Stay Dedicated!

Engineering Students at the University of the West Indies. Source: http://www.sta.uwi.edu

Suitable technologies! September 12, 2012

The Agri Cube
Image Courtesy: Google Search

In browsing the idea database found at Springwise.com I came across some interesting high tech agricultural products. Without thinking the thought came to mind of how marvelous these products are; but are they necessary? The first was the Japanese created Agri-Cube a container unit that fits inside a standard parking space and can produce 10,000 vegetables a year. “The Agri-Cube utilises variable fluorescent lighting, temperature control and a fertilizer circulation and drainage system to give urban farmers flexibility with their crops, which grow on stacked shelves inside the unit.”  Now thes device has its uses. It gives the user complete control over the environment in which food grows. And due to it’s high production, it can be used in schools, hospitals, restaurant etc. However this device is quite costly and it has a high maintenance cost. Keep this point on hand.

 

The Water Generating Wind Turbine
Image courtesy: Springwise.com

Heading over a continent to France, the company Eole Water “has now created a wind turbine that can condense water in the air and make it safe for drinking. According to the company, the turbine can produce up to 1,000 liters a day. For communities situated in regions with few or low quality water supplies, the turbine could prove to be a vital resource.” The device is now being tested in extreme weather conditions. The benefits of this device are outstanding as water is a necessity for life. Livestock and crops can then rely on this as a suitable resource. As with the previous contraption this technology is quite expensive and has been in research and development for years. Remember this second point as well.

 

My question is this: Why should so much be invested on such high levels of technology if much simpler and cost effective techniques are in coexistence? Further thought led to the realization that I was thinking in such small standards. The Caribbean  does not have harsh or inclement weather year round whereas other places in the world do experience such weather. Regardless of where in the world humanity exists, food and water are an absolute necessity. These technologies may be unsuitable for some regions of the world, but for developed countries they are quite affordable and cost effective. Not only are these technologies a wonder, but they are thoughtful purpose driven towards food and nutrition security, rather than achieving the rewards generated by the success of business operation.

For a video highlighting the Agri Cube, click here

For a concept video explaing the workings of the water generating wind turbine click here

Drought worry or carefree… August 29, 2012

An example of drought in the USA

By now we have all heard the news of the Drought in the USA. It has severely affected crops such as corn and soya bean. The trickle down effect means that small island states like ours, here in the Caribbean would now have to pay increased prices on items such as feed on which is largely corn based. In my country the Table Eggs Producers of Trinidad and Tobago has announced that effective Thursday 23, August 2012 there will be an increase in the suggested wholesale price of eggs. So we are experiencing the effects of drought. SO WHAT! This is clearly an indicator that climate change is very much present and much closer to a drastic change than we all expected. Last week I posted on the ability for humanity to create the technology that is necessary when the time comes. Well, the technology to fight drought already exists. I have posted on numerous topics dealing with water resource management. From Farming, Harvesting and Cultivating Water to creating rain via Laser beams and chemical cloud seeding! It sounds far fetched but these are technologies that exist and have been in use. Therefore I do not see a drought issue that the super power, USA cannot solve. If by political, financial or just plain chance, none of these technologies are effective, I still have an answer. CONSUME LESS! Do we really need all that corn and soya bean in our lives. I think not. Cut back a little. If the price of something has gone up, buy less of it and eat less of it. Manage your food expenses carefully or start growing your own food. In the case of livestock feed, do your research! A colleague of mine and myself recently discovered a cheaper, more nutritional alternative to duck feed. The work and independent research of a local duck producer provided all the evidence we needed to prove that there are better, more natural alternatives to feed in existence. We just have to find it. It’s that simple!

Harvesting the Water July 22, 2012

My apologises for the extremely late post however it is not without due cause. The blog has undergone some changes, nothing too drastic however I have been making attempts to better it’s appearance. massive editing  of every post since its creation in 2011 have been completed. Also The widgets to the right of the blog posts are as effective and useful as ever. Feel free to check out past entries.

To keep this entry simple I’ll be highlighting another simple technology that you can use in your own subsistence gardening or farming. Remember my posts on Farming the Water and Cultivating the Water? Of course you do…hopefully. These centred on our most precious resource, water and harvesting it from natural rainfall. Well after these posts I though of  ways in which I could do the same but on a uch smaller scale. I even began designing a contraption, however someone else beat me to the punch after all it is practical. It’s called Rainsaucers, a standalone rainwater harvesting system  See this video on how it is put together. Simple as it is the contraption can be immediately applied to small or micro farmers and your personal garden. This contraption, in my humble opinion, can even be outfitted with irrigation lines and placed in strategic locations of a shade house. Thereby the run off of the house can flow directly into these containers and then out to produce. I should note that this device is not new by any means. I have seen rainwater harvesting techniques that are quite innovative used for personal use by persons living to the south east of Trinidad. This contraption is just a fraction of  what techniques are in existence.

 

    

Techniques for Food Safety CONTROL July 11, 2012

Apples covered with wrapping in China
Photo courtesy BBC.co.uk

Recently I came across this BBC online report on ‘Toxic’ apples found in Yantai city of the Shandong Province in China. The article reports:

That farmers have been allegedly wrapping apples in pesticide coated wrapping paper to protect crops. As Shandong is the leading exporter of apples in China, it is against the law to use that technique. It argues of the need to protect the fruit via pesticides. And it highlights media reports that these types of wrapping have been found within the city.

Although it is against the law, there seems to be no guarantee that consumers will not end up with tainted apples due to the expanse of the sector. In this instance you as the consumer are simply not in control of  the safety of these apples for consumption. Your best bet is to stop eating apples all together, as we simply not aware of the truth. These apples may or may not be infected and due to the wide expanse of food export networks, it stands a good chance of settling on your plate.

Disinfecting Water via UVA in Indonesia
Photo Courtesy Albert Cambi
Renewable Energy for Farmers Blog

Conversely, a blog post from Rural Renewable Energies for Farmers highlights an uncomplicated method to purify and disinfect water using  Ultraviolet (UVA) rays in as little as 6 hours rather than using chemicals or other scientific methods. Water is not consumable due to bacteria and viruses, toxic minerals and metals as well as  deposits or particles in suspension (i.e. mud) In this example, rather than abstaining from consuming water (which is highly unadvised) you are entirely able to ensure it is safe for consumption. Ensuring food safety is a difficult topic within the agri sector as these two examples have shown. However we can gather that each situation is different. It depends on you to be vigilant and ensure your own health and food safety. At the stage of consumption within your household there are many steps that you can take to prevent or reduce the risk associated with food consumption, especially if you are unaware of its origin. http://homefoodsafety.org/ provides further details.

Agricultural Innovation at its finest! June 26, 2012

It has been quite a long time since I’ve highlighted the activities of the Agribusiness Society. So it’s fitting to explain our most recent event. One of the aims of the ABS is to ensure student development. Therefore each year the society organizes a  Study Tour to another island within the region for interested Graduate and undergraduate students. It is quite to a feat to organize such an event however it has been successful for the past two years. The first was held in  St. Vincent and the Grenadines where the students were exposed first hand to value added agriculture and agro-processing in addition to completing a value chain analysis on several commodities. The second was held in Suriname and Guyana. The students executed a group project comparing the fish landing sites of Suriname, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago and their readiness for export in addition to examining the full scale mechanization of the rice, banana and sugar industries. The most recent was a visit to Jamaica to examine the pig, beef, small ruminant and dairy industries. Once again the venturewas a success. On events such as these the students try to be sensitized to as much information as possible. Therefore it is common to explore other sectors in the agri-industry. This post highlights the innovations and simple technologies/methods that the students experience at the Adams Valley Greenhouse/Shade-house operation in Jamaica. These images are proof that farming is much more than just planting a seed. You must be forward thinking, efficient and innovative to succeed!

The Adams Valley Shade House Operation lay at the bottom of a hill. Therefore its owner placed these tarpaulins for rainwater harvesting and storage to the top. He can then use a smaller pump that requires less energy (less gas) to pump the water out after which gravity then carries the water down to his crops. As you can see here, in several instances, his set up and operation costs are drastically reduced.

Additional rainwater storage is strategically placed lower down the hill. These deposits are also home to tilapia whose waste add nutrients to the water before it is fed to the crops. More importantly to prevent wastage of feed, the owner created these simple devices consisting of underwater trays and recycled plastic bottles to keep the feed at mid level in the water. Therefore the fish can feed when they please and the feed itself does not sink to the bottom. The owner indicated that there is no guarantee that the fish will eat the feed when it sinks to the bottom.

The owner decided to build his own shade house. As the owner of the operation he is aware of his landscape and the scale he wishes to achieve. Therefore he purchased his own inputs and built the shade-houses to his specifications thereby resolving the issues that may arise with such production such as overheating. He bent the metal himself, granted he has a engineering background. This also greatly reduced the operation’s set up costs

As his operation mostly consists of shade-houses, they are at risk to pest build up over time. In order to reduce costs and prevent the negative effects of pesticide use. the owner places his soil in a nylon netting -like material and boils it. You read correctly. He boils the soil in water as you see above. The heat and stem actually sterilizes the soil, leaving it free of parasites and other pests.

Cultivating the Water March 27, 2012

Readers! Do you remember my post last year on Farming the Water? It centered on fog collectors used to harvest water from high altitude fogs via polyethylyne mesh or nylon netting. Such simple technology provides the most valuable resource: water. Despite its utmost importance to agricultural production, its use faces competition in the need for human consumption. These needs (agri-production and human consumption respectively) were the reasoning behind the creation of the Sea Water Green House. As an alternative source for water,  the technology creates a cool environment for plants to grow in a greenhouse situated in arid, coastal areas of the world, thereby plants need less water to grow. Using the walls of the greenhouse, seawater is condensed into freshwater in the same way dew is formed providing the necessary water for irrigation within the green house. To see a video of this technology at work click here: Sea Water Green House The technology has also been in existed for several years after extensive research was conducted. Therefore you can get as much information about this technology straight from its source here: http://www.seawatergreenhouse.com/aboutus.html

(Photos: Courtesy Google Search)

           

Farming the Water! October 4, 2011

There are places in the Caribbean with high altitude terrain. Within these areas you will definitely find hillside farming, terracing and the like. Well here is a technology that can be quite effective. Its called Fog collectors – These are vertical panels of polyethylene mesh that collect water from the surrounding fog, in high altitude areas and channels it to a storage tank. Thereby water that may be difficult to access because of the terrain, is easily farmed from the sky!

This is a novel idea and as you’ll see at this video ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njRtL8lN2b4) provides much valuable water for communities and its agriculture. You can get more information at http://www.fogquest.org/