CIGR Newsletter No 31
NEWS FROM THE SECTIONS, WORKING GROUPS AND MEMBERS
STRATEGIC AND ACTIVITY PLANS OF THE SECTIONS FOR 1995-1998
CIGR SECTION BOARDS: PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE
Following the initiatives taken by Prof. G. Pellizzi, Past President of CIGR and myself, all Sections of CIGR are now making strategic plans for their new role as keylinks in a worldwide network for agricultural engineers. These plans will form the basis of the activity plans for the coming years.The first attempts were made in the meetings on the occasion of CIGR's XIIth World Congress in Milano, Italy in which the new Section Chairmen were confirmed in their new position. The drafts were discussed at the end of February in Paris, during a meeting between the Section Chairmen and the Presidium of CIGR.
Below is a summary of the outcome so far. Most Sections have expressed a clear view on what are their goals and how they intend to work in their term of duty. However it is evident that not all the Section Boards have completed this task to the end. This programme will need to be developed and further improvements will be necessary, both in directing the mind towards the future to come and in a more worldwide spreading of the programme of activities. In order to succeed in the last point, new relations and contacts will need to be developed, which take time. In the meantime, a majority of planned conferences are still located in Europe in kind cooperation with EurAgEng. But conferences with CIGR involvement are found in increasing numbers in all continents, which is a favourable development for the future.
The purpose of presenting these plans is threefold: it gives CIGR members information on future goals and activities of the Sections; it is an invitation towards the members to comment the plans and to suggest possible improvements; it can be the start of a fruitful discussion that can aid the Section Boards to mark the road.
I invite all members of CIGR to study the plan of the Section to which they belong. If you don't helong to a Section yet, please consider this as an invitation to join a Section in your field of work. Then send a letter to the Chairman of that Board, stating your opinion and eventually your proposals. Remember: CIGR is what we together make of it. Join in !
Prof. Egil Berge, President of CIGR.
To assist you in this matter please find below the addresses of the Chairmen of the various Sections:
SECTION CHAIRMEN 1995-1998
SECTION I: LAND AND WATER USE
Prof. H. VAN LIER, Wageningen Agricultural University, Dept. Physical Planning and Rural Development, Gen. Foulkesweg 13, 6703 BJ Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Tel.: +31 8370 82784 Fax.: +31 &370 82166 email: huub.vanlier@ctt.rpv.wau.nl
SECTION II: FARM BUILDINGS, EQUIPMENT, STRUCTURES AND ENVIRONMENT
Prof. Y. HASHIMOTO, Ehime University, Dept. Biomechanical Systems, IFAC/TC, Tarumi 357, Matsuyama 790, Japan. Tel.: +81 899 41 4174 Fax.: +81 899 47 8748.
email: hasinioto@ehimegw.dpc.ehimeu.ac.jp
SECTION III: EQUIPMENT ENGINEERING FOR PLANT PRODUCTION
Dr. B. CHEZE, CEMAGREF, Agric. & Food Engng. Dept., Parc de Tourvoie, 921, F92160 Antony, France. Tel.: +33 1 40 96 61 21 Fax.: +33 1 40 96 61 40.
SECTION IV: RURAL ELECTRICITY AND OTHER ENERGY SOURCES
Prof. T. JUNGBLUTH, Universität Hohenheim, Institut für Agrartechnik, Garbenstrasse 9, D70599 Stuttgart, Germany. Tel.: +49 711 45 92 835 Fax.: +49 711 45 92 519.
email: jungblut@rsl.rz.unihohenheim.de
SECTION V: MANAGEMENT, ERGONOMICS AND SYSTEMS ENGINEERING
Dr. W. LUDER, Swiss Research Institute for Agricultural Economics and Engineering, CH8356 Taenikon,
Switzerland. Tel.: +41 52 62 31 31 Fax.: +41 52 61 11 90.
SECTION VI: PROCESSING
Prof. F.W. BAKKERARKEMA, Michigan State University, Dept. Agricultural Engineering, Room 120,
Farrall Hall, East Lansing,48824 1323 Michigan, U.S.A.
Tel.: +1 517 353 4458 Fax.: +1 517 353 8982 email: bakker@egr.msu.edu
STRATEGIC AND ACTIVITY PLANS OF THE SECTIONS FOR 1995 - 1998
Section I: LAND AND WATER USE
Section I will in the future focus its activities on an improvement in the physical rural conditions (soils, water, layout) for farming as well as on the meaning of restrictions in farming methods visàvis the environment and nature protection, for what concerns land and water use planning in the countryside.
Future rural problems will mainly concern the integration of nature and environmental problems (ecosystem) in the (new) farming methods. The implementation of these new farming methods involves many aspects. For Section I the most important aspect is the determination of the role of water management systems, soils and the rural layout. Water management systems are dealing with quantitative and qualitative aspects of farming and the ecosystem. Finding a new balance between water support and discharge and between clear and polluted waters is a new challenge in the countryside. Reclamation, improvement and protection of soils for sustainable farming as well as for nature protection is another task.
The profitability of farming demands minimumsized farms with welllocated and suitably shaped fields together with a welldeveloped rural road system.
For the period 1995 - 1998 the following activities are planned and foreseen:
1. a workshop within the theme 'Land Use Design Systems' on the topic 'New Farming Methods for a Sustainable Countryside'. This workshop will focus on problems concerning the privatisation of farmland; new farming methods with respect to nature protection; new farming methods to protect the environment.
Location: Agricultural University, Gödöllö, Hungary. Date: June or September 1996.
2. a workshop within the same theme but on 'Rural Road Design'. This workshop will address topics such as general goals, technical and ecological aspects of road construction; problems in natural and unstable areas; traffic limitations; problems in touristic areas; maintenance.
Location: Switzerland.
Date: June or September 1997.
3. a workshop within the theme of Water Management Systems. This workshop addresses the agronomical and environmental aspects.
Location: Albacete, Spain.
Time: June or September 1997.
4. a discussion is held on the possibility to organise a workshop within the theme of 'Soil Improvement and Soil Protection' on one of the following topics:
- water and wind erosion;
- soilcompactionproblems;
- flow of material in soils.
Time: Spring 1998.
(communicated by Prof. H.N. van Lier, Chm Section I)
SECTION II: FARM BUILDINGS. EOUIPMENT. STRUCTURES AND ENVIRONMENT
Section II covers Farm Buildings, Equipment, Structures and Environment. The mission is emphasized on 'optimization and design of animal, crops and horticultural buildings and related equipment, climate control and environmental protection, farm planning and waste management' as shown in CIGR Newsletter of August 1994. As the scientific area to be covered by Section II is very broad, it may be noted that symposia and workshops are expected to be organized with the cosponsorship of the other international societies involved such as IFAC (International Federation of Automatic Control), ISHS (International Society for Horticultural Science) and IFIP (International Federation of Information Processing) as well as regional societies of agricultural engineering such as EurAgEng, AAAE and ASAE.
Planned tentative activities in the period 1996 - 2000:
1996
Symposium on 'New uses for old rural buildings considering landscape planning'. This symposium will be organized in June 1996 in Piacenza, Italy. Four topics in the scientific programme are foreseen:
1. Protection and utilization of old rural buildings
2. Methods and techniques for the functional and structural reuse of old rural buildings
3. Environmental quality and countryside development
4. Landscape planning.
Old rural buildings used for agricultural activities are still available in Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Austria. The interest for landscaping found in even more countries.
1997
- International Seminar on 'Agricultural Construction'. This symposium will be organized in March 1997 in Campinas, Brazil.
- International Symposium on 'Gas and Odour Control in Animal Production Facilities'. This symposium will be organized in The Netherlands in September 1997.
- First Workshop on 'Control Applications and Ergonomics in Agriculture'. The Workshop will be organized in April 1997 in Athens, Greece with the main sponsorship of IFAC and cosponsorship of CIGR.
1998
- The XIIIth World Congress of CIGR in Morocco. A special session will be organized by Section II.
- Third Workshop on 'Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture'. This symposium will be held in Japan and sponsored by IFAC and cosponsored by CIGR and IFIP.
- Second Workshop on CAPPT. This Workshop will be organized in Hungary with the main sponsorship of IFAC and the cosponsorship of CIGR.
1999
Symposium on 'Dust Control in Farm Buildings'. This symposium will probably be organized in Asia or the USA with main sponsorship of CIGR and cosponsorship of either AAAE or ASAE.
2000
CIGR Anniversary Conference in Tokyo in 2000. This conference will probably be organized with the main sponsorship of CIGR and the cosponsorship of SCJ, the Science Council of Japan.
(communicated by Prof. Hashimoto, Chm. Section II)
SECTION III: EQUIPMENT ENGINEERING FOR PLANT PRODUCTION
Some general objectives
Equipment Engineering for Plant Production still plays a significant role in agriculture and in rural development.
Advances in many technologies have to be applied to this keysector to remain competitive and to follow the requirements of Society. The main objectives can be summarized as follows:
- a better balance between competitiveness and respect for natural resources is likely to introduce a less intensive agriculture (both in capital and inputs);
- a closer link between endconsumers and producers to improve the quality at every step of the entire process, including a better quantitative control. Some farmers also aim at recovering a part of the added value brought by food processing and marketing;
- a better multidisciplinary approach with 'systems engineering' as a bridging cement, together with more socioeconomic emphasis on unemployment, the rural exodus...;
- a need to convince politicians that the transfer of technology for production and processing is more important than the import of foreign surpluses of agricultural raw materials.
Some possible pathways
In Equipment Engineering, most of these objectives implicate the introduction of machines or more information technology, with more connections with central farm management. The diversity in information from many fields such as biology, climatology, physiology, cultural practices, and of course technology requires the intervention of 'systems engineers' and a closer cooperation between engineers, agronomists, marketing staff, ecologists, sociologists, economlsts, . . .
Sooner or later, every region or country, irrespective its level of mechanization, will have to move in that direction, in research, development, extension and training.
CIGR, as a worldwide linking organization is certainly one of the most appropriate institutions to facilitate the technical and scientific exchange between engineers but also between the various institutions.
Section III of CIGR intends:
- to review new equipment engineering capacities. In a first step we have to contribute to the chapter of the CIGRhandbook dealing with a sustainable approach in agriculture (B. Stout proposes a workshop). Tt may be seen also as a g(lod example of interregional cooperation between ASAE, EurAgEng, AAAE. Transfer of simple, readily available technologies is a theme for a future Conference in 1996 (D. Faust).
- to make more room in the major Agricultural Engineering Conferences for exchanges between North andSouth and SouthSouth engineers, and help the development of some subregional networks like ACEMA, the EuroAfrican Association of Agricultural Engineering Centers.
- to strive for the organization of more Conferences in Developing Countries:
- In 1995, an International Conference took place in Beijing, P.R. China from 10 to 13 April.
- At the end of 1995 or the beginning of 1996, in close cooperation with FAO and CTA a Seminar will be held, possibly in Senegal, to evaluate the 'Stateoftheart in Mechanization in African Countries.
- In 1996, an International Seminar on 'Mechanization of SmallScale Farming' will be held at Rabat, Morocco from 13 to 17 May, organized by our colleague Dr Bourarach.
- A Conference in Latin America, maybe in Mexico, is planned by Dr D. Sutton of Silsoe Research Institute, for the preparation of which we could meet with our Latin American colleagues coming to the AgEng Conference in Spain, or earlier if necessary.
Systems Engineering for a better impact of equipments on the sustainability and the total quality of agriculture
Some intersectional meetings need to be prepared to better solve in a systemic approach, emerging, interactive engineering questions:
- with Section I on alternative farming and land management (starting with the conference in 1996 in Gödöllö, if possible);
- with Section IV for nonfood crop production;
- with Section V for methodology;
- with Section VI for the link between consumer and producer.
Introduction of new technologies will also have direct consequences in manufacturing and more exchanges will have to be organized between researchers and the industry. The next Conference on Robotics in Kobe, Japan on 36 November will certainly have a number of interesting topics on the manufacturing of 'mechatroniccomplexmachines'.
Testing and Standardization
This worldwide problem, in particular on safety aspects, makes most manufacturers to stay behind the 'wonders' of advanced technologies. Safety of operators deals not only with the way in which machines are used, but also in the way they are integrating security in the design and building of these machines. Agricultural engineers are in a keyposition on these two themes.
We have to contribute in the spreading of standards between the various regions. Two examples can illustrate this: FAO is preparing testing methods for spraying equipment in Developing Countries and KUBNIITIM is organizing a Conference with all the testing stations of the Russian Federation, in Krasnodar (October 1995). Specialists of the Section are involved in both.
(communicated by Dr Cheze, Chm Section III)
SECTION IV: RURAL ELECTRICITY AND OTHER ENERGY SOURCES
Knowing that energy supply is no longer solely based on electric power and taking into account that the natural resources of nonrenewable energy are decreasing Section IV expanded its work which is is shown in the new name of the Section viz. 'Rural Electrification and other Energy Sources'. Based on the discussion in the last Board Meeting and information of some Board Members the following themes are presented for discussion of future work.
1. Stateoftheart in energy supply
1.1. Electricity
- The classic topic of rural electrification is no longer a problem in industrialised countries.
- Industrialised countries still have a potential for saving energy, especially in the areas of animal production and greenhouses.
- In the socalled developing countries there is still a lack of electricity and a low standard electricity supply.
- In the socalled countries in transition in Middle and East Europe agriculture has an abundance of electricity from nuclear power plants, in future a change to a shortage of electricity is expected.
1.2. Other energy sources
- Renewable energy is one of the main topics in the socalled hightech countries.
- Problems still exist on how to produce electricity from renewable raw materials.
- There is a positive influence on the energy balance using other energy sources but they may have a negative impact in other fields (i.e. Iandscape); this leads to the problem of the ecobalance or on evaluating those systems.
- Renewable energy should be introduced as soon as possible in the socalled developing countries in transltlon.
2. Proposals for future topics
2.1. Electricity
- Energysaving technologies and buildings in animal production and greenhouse technology.
- Environmentally safe systems for animal production, ecobalance.
- Environmental issues in connection to energy production and usage.
- Developing electricity/energy supply systems for socalled developing countries.
- Energysaving technologies for the use of electric energy in the countries in transition.
- Adapting safety standards for rural electrification in socalled countries in transition.
2.2.0ther energy sources
- Energy production from residues of animal and plant production, especially electricity.
- Environmental impact and degradation of nonrenewable resources and evaluation of systems using renewable energy sources.
- Project to study prestandards for the compilation of economic, ecological and energetic balances of rural energy chains (i.e. biomass for electricity production).
3. Procedure
- Continue to organise a yearly Section Meeting on the occasion of a remarkable event or a very interesting technical visit. Formal meeting could be avoided or restricted to a minimum by using fax or electronic mail.
- Continue to organise a biennial Section Conference. The title could be standardised to 'CIGR Rural Energy' or something very similar.
- Choose two main topics for the Section work in the next years.
- Try to integrate institutions and persons involved in the Section in order to follow the present integration process that is going on within the European Union, cooperation or coordination with other international orgamsations.
- Integrate activities in those of other CIGR Sections.
- In order to promote the EU a project based on the problem of energy supply in the rural areas of the different world regions.
Dissemination of knowledge
The Section will be involved in the organisation of the following conferences:
* 19th Conference of Section IV in StuttgartHohenheim,
Germany, September 2329,1995.
About 60 papers and 40 posters will be presented under the topics:
Energy Production:
1. Renewable raw materials (harvesting, dressing, transport, combustion)
2. Oil from vegetable seeds (harvesting, dressing, transport, combustion, motor power)
3. Energy from agricultural waste materials (exploitation, dressing and use).
Energy Management:
4. Solar energy and other renewable energies for agricultural use (electricity and others)
5. Environmentally safe and low energy animal production
6. Electrification in developing countries.
* Participation in the organisation of the 'Conference on Rational Use of Renewable Energy Sources in Agriculture inConnection to Environmental Control Budapest, Hungary, June 27,1996.
This conference will be held in English, German and Hungarian. Topics include:
- Use of biomass and environmental control
- Possibilities of the use of solar energy
- Environmental implications of the use of wind energy
- The use of heat pumps in agriculture
- Regenerative energy sources at the farm
- Possibilities for the use of groundwater.
* The 20th Conference of Section IV will be organised in Rabat, Morocco in 1997. Proposals for urgent topics are welcome.
(communicated by Prof. T. Jungbluth, Chm Section IV)
SECTION V: MANAGEMENT, ERGONOMICS AND SYSTEMS ENGINEERING
The Board of Section V started its work on a strategic and activity plan for Section V during the XIIth World Congress of CIGR in Milano and will meet again on the occasion of the XXVIth CIOSTA CIGR V Congress in Lillehammer, Norway on 2931 May 1995 to complete its plan. It will be presented in a future issue of CIGR Newsletter. In the preliminary discussions it was agreed that future activities would focus on:
- improved mana~ement aids (information systems, decision support systems, use of system approach);
- ergonomics (mental stress in combination with physical stress, dust, noise);
- labour conditions (workers safety).
SECTION VI: PROCESSING
1. Section VI Strategy Plan
The primary goal of Section VI of CIGR is to promote the improvement of postharvest technology in the field of agricultural / food engineering. The '95'98 strategic plan calls for the emphasis of a limited number of areas in order to maximize the longlasting impact. Subjects to be accentuated comprise: (I) physical properties of foods and feeds, (2) storage of grains, fruits and vegetables, (3) processing of foodindustry wastes, and (4) postharvest technology in developing countries. Section Vl Working Groups to be established include: (I) grain storage, and (2) quality measurement of food / feed products.
Part of the strategy of Section VI is to attract the interest in CIGR activities and services of postharvest technologists from outside the West European / North American regions. In particular, special organizational efforts will be made in Africa, in Oceania, in South America and in Asia.
Also, Section VI will actively participate in the development of the electronic network, the handbook and the membership / news databases, and in activities which promote membership in CTGR.
2. Section VI Activity Plan
lhe activities of CIGR Section Vl in the coming four years were decided upon in Milano, namely:
Seminars and Workshops
- June 12, 1995 BIRA PostHarvest Control Applications Workshop, Ostend, Belgium. Cosponsored by Section VI of CIGR.
- September 2326, 1996 AgEng'96 International EurAgEng Conference on Agricultural Engineering, Madrid, Spain. Section VI to sponsor a seminar on the subject of Grain Storage or Quality Measurement of Fruits / Vegetables / Grains.
- September 1997 Polish Academy of Sciences Astrophysics Conference, Lublin, Poland. Section VI to sponsor a seminar on SmallScale Processing of Food Products during the meeting.
- September 1998 XIIIth World Congress of CIGR, Rabat, Morocco. Section VI has specified the following topics to be included in the call for papers: (I) technology of agroprocessing industries and their effect on rural development, (2) environmental protection technologies for agroprocessing industries, (3) physical properties of agricultural products, (4) effect of processing technologies on the quality of food / feed products and (5) appropriate technologies for the processing of agricultural products.
(comm. by Prof. BakkerArkema, Chm. Section VI)
The International Agricultural Mechanization Conference, Beijing, P.R. China,1013 April 1995
The Second International Agricultural Mechanization Conference organized by the Chinese Society for Agricultural Mechanization Sciences (CAAMS) was held in Beijing, P.R. of China on April 10 13, 1995. President of the Conference was Prof. Gao Yuanen. The Conference, supported by CIGR, AAAE, JSAM, KSAM and UNIDO was very well attended. There were more than 300 participants, 40 of them from 16 different countries, including 10 delegates from the Russian Federation. The of ficial language of the Conference was English. CIGR was represented by Prof. O. Marchenko. In total 57 papers and about 50 posters were presented at the meeting. The most important papers at the plenary session presented by Mrs. Xu Wenlan (China), Mr. Y. Kishida (Japan), Prof. Hak Kyun Koh (Korea), Prof. L. Kormanovsky (Russia) were devoted to the rural reforms, prospects of agricultural mechanization systems and agricultural machinery industry development.
- Efficiency of harvest, postharvest and processing technologies (in the cases of alfalfa hay, grain, legumes and legumes seeds, stripper harvesting systems of rice and wheat, processing of riceflour, white pepper, peanut and others).
- New energy resources, energysaving greenhouses, agrowaste utilization, wind concentrating energy turbines, wind pumps, solar cells, fresnel lenses, biomass based alternative fuels, environmental protection.
- Appropriate technology in measurement, automation and computer application (evaluation of driven equipment, efficiency, machine vision systems for fruit and berry detection and sorting, grain drying and grain moisture control, computer control for dairy farm processes).
- Agricultural mechanization and management (farms management and mechanization level, rural reforms and specialized villages).
Two excursions to a specialized village near Beijing (based on agricultural and industrial production) and to the CAAMS were also arranged during the Conference.
The Proceedings of the International Agricultural Mechanization Conference IAMC'95, one volume containing 820 pp, are available from the Chinese Society of Agricultural Machinery and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural and Mechanization Sciences, N° 1 Beishatan, Deshengmen Wai, Beijing 100083 China.
Tel.: +86 1 201 7131 Fax.: +86 1 201 7326.
(communicated by Prof. Oleg S. Marchenko)
