Innovative Biosystems Engineering For Sustainable Agriculture Forestry And Food Production

This book gathers the latest advances, innovations, and applications in the field of innovative biosystems engineering for sustainable agriculture, forestry and food production. Focusing on the challenges of implementing sustainability in various contexts in the fields of biosystems engineering, it shows how the research has addressed the sustainable use of renewable and non-renewable resources. It also presents possible solutions to help achieve sustainable production. The Mid-Term Conference of the Italian Association of Agricultural Engineering (AIIA) is part of a series of conferences, seminars and meetings that the AIIA organizes, together with other public and private stakeholders, to promote the creation and dissemination of new knowledge in the sector. The contributions included in the book were selected by means of a rigorous peer-review process, and offer an extensive and multidisciplinary overview of interesting solutions in the field of innovative biosystems engineering for sustainable agriculture.

This volume gathers the latest advances, innovations, and applications in the field of biosystems engineering, as presented at the 12th Conference of the Italian Association of Agricultural Engineering (AIIA), held in Palermo, Italy, on September 19-22, 2022. Focusing on the challenges of improving the resilience of agriculture, forestry and food systems in the post-Covid era, it shows how the research has addressed the following topics: Monitoring and modelling hydraulic and hydrological processes in agriculture and forestry systems; Challenges in stream rehabilitation and soil conservation strategies; Sustainable water resource management under climate change scenarios; Planning safe, healthy and resilient territorial, built and green systems; Cultural heritage preservation and rural landscape protection, planning and management; Plant and livestock production processes and technologies. Healthy and Organic farming. Animal welfare; Energy, waste and by-products smart use; Post-harvest logistics and food chain structures technology; Applications and experiences in smart agriculture and forestry; One Health, management and standardization for agriculture and forestry machinery and structures; Big data, machine learning and data hub in biosystems engineering. The contributions were selected by a rigorous peer-review process, and offer an extensive and multidisciplinary overview of the research in the field of biosystems engineering for sustainable agriculture.

The book delves into the research and advancements in agricultural biosystem development, bioprocess, and bioproducts. It takes an integrative approach by combining agronomical practices and agricultural engineering to address the challenges in these areas. The adoption of technology in the agricultural sector is crucial for ensuring food security and alleviating poverty, which are key themes of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs). Researchers and engineers are expected to tackle various challenges and introduce innovative techniques, frameworks, and instruments that promote sustainable agriculture and food security. Globally, agricultural mechanization and modernization can be achieved through advancements in agricultural engineering technologies and their applications. Key areas of progress include agricultural automation and robotics, precision agriculture, high-efficiency irrigation systems, farm energy systems, handling and processing of agricultural products, livestock and poultry management, farm water and wastewater management, biomass utilization, remote sensing and geographical studies, and the intersection of society and agriculture, along with the associated bio-environment. The technological advancements in agricultural engineering described in this book cater to the needs of the 21st century, particularly in the context of the agricultural water-energy-food security nexus. Authored by an international team, the book covers various topics such as energy systems, information technology, sensors and control systems, machinery systems, natural resources and environmental systems, plant and animal systems, facility systems, and processing systems. By offering valuable insights and knowledge from diverse disciplines, this book serves as a resource for academia, engineers, technologists, and users seeking a comprehensive understanding of the multidimensional field of biosystems engineering.

One of the realities characterizing the globe is the exclusion of marginalized communities in digital transformation. Their exclusion has resulted in a lack of participation in the digital space, which has catastrophic consequences on the digital economy. To promote digital inclusiveness in marginalized communities, there is a need to deconstruct the illusion that digital transformation is an urban phenomenon. Digital Transformation for Promoting Inclusiveness in Marginalized Communities discusses how digital transformation can be utilized to promote inclusiveness in marginalized communities by exploring opportunities and challenges and determining change mechanisms required to enhance digital transformation in marginalized communities. Covering a range of topics such as augmented reality and remote communities, this reference work is ideal for government employees, technologists, policymakers, industry professionals, researchers, scholars, academicians, instructors, and students.

The effective and efficient application of PPP in agriculture is a very complex task, involving a lot of aspects ranging from active substance properties to climatic conditions, from target structure to equipment features, from operator awareness to the reference legislative framework. Some of these aspects have been treated in the six papers collected in this Special Issue on “Pesticide Applications in Agricultural Systems”.

This book gathers the latest advances, innovations and applications in the field of agricultural biotechnology, agro-food systems and forestry, as presented by leading international researchers and engineers at the 5th International Conference on Safety, Health and Welfare in Agriculture and Agro-food Systems (SHWA), held in Ragusa, Italy, on September 15-18, 2021. The papers cover a range of topics such as agricultural assistive technologies, machine milking, animal welfare, sustainable livestock farming, work organization and logistic in agro-food supply chain, agricultural instrumentation and equipment, safety and health in building, agriculture 4.0, automation, occupational health, precision farming, effect of landscapes on human health, environmental safety, rural health, agricultural machinery, ROPS, augmented reality and IoT, cyber security. The contributions included in the book were selected by means of a rigorous peer-review process, and offer an extensive and multidisciplinary overview of interesting solutions in the field of sustainable agriculture.

​This book presents the outcomes of the symposium “NEW METROPOLITAN PERSPECTIVES,” held at Mediterranea University, Reggio Calabria, Italy on May 26–28, 2020. Addressing the challenge of Knowledge Dynamics and Innovation-driven Policies Towards Urban and Regional Transition, the book presents a multi-disciplinary debate on the new frontiers of strategic and spatial planning, economic programs and decision support tools in connection with urban–rural area networks and metropolitan centers. The respective papers focus on six major tracks: Innovation dynamics, smart cities and ICT; Urban regeneration, community-led practices and PPP; Local development, inland and urban areas in territorial cohesion strategies; Mobility, accessibility and infrastructures; Heritage, landscape and identity;and Risk management,environment and energy. The book also includes a Special Section on Rhegion United Nations 2020-2030. Given its scope, the book will benefit all researchers, practitioners and policymakers interested in issues concerning metropolitan and marginal areas.

THE SERIES: INTELLIGENT BIOMEDICAL DATA ANALYSIS By focusing on the methods and tools for intelligent data analysis, this series aims to narrow the increasing gap between data gathering and data comprehension. Emphasis is also given to the problems resulting from automated data collection in modern hospitals, such as analysis of computer-based patient records, data warehousing tools, intelligent alarming, effective and efficient monitoring. In medicine, overcoming this gap is crucial since medical decision making needs to be supported by arguments based on existing medical knowledge as well as information, regularities and trends extracted from big data sets.