Department of Agricultural and Rural Engineering

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN AGRICULTURAL AND BIOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING

This programme aims at training well qualified graduates who are well versed in the challenging engineering and rural development issues faced by rural communities. These include; Irrigation, Soil and Water Conservation and Management, Agricultural Structures, Farm Mechanization and Rural Industries, Crop Processing and Renewable Energy Technologies.

The programme prepares graduates with necessary problem solving skills and competencies which will enable them to be highly innovative and be able to function effectively as:

Advisors, designers or supervisors of rural development projects
Applied scientists- the graduates will also be able to find employment as specialists in Government, Agribusiness, Research and Training Institutions, Private Consultancies and to establish their own business.

Marenya. O.M. (2015). Characterizing the performance of a Deep Tilling-Cut Rotavator Fitted with L-Shaped Blades. Summer 2015. AMA VOL.46, No.3.

Marenya, MO., HLM du Plessis and N.G. Musonda .:2003: Theoretical forces and power prediction models for rotary tillers – a review . Journal of Engineering in Agriculture and the environment, Vol.3 No. 1pp1-10.

Marenya, MO., HLM du Plessis and N.G. Musonda .:2004: Development of an instrumented system for deep rotary tillage studies. Agriculture Engineering in South Africa, Vol.33 No. 1pp1-14.

Kapila PF., Mogwai MB.: 2015. Evaluation of maintenance practices in mechanized agriculture – SADC Region. ISSN: 1310- 3946. III International Scientific Congress – Agricultural machinery Proceedings, Vol 3.

Omolola A O, Jideani A.I.O. and Kapila P.F. (2015). “Drying characteristics and kinetics of banana (Musa spp., AAA group, cv. ‘Mabonde’)” (Trinidad) 92, Number 3,207-219.

Omolola, AO, Jideani IO, Kapila PF: 2015. Drying kinetics of banana (musa spp.) Interciencia. June 2015, Vol. 40 Nº 6.

Omolola, AO, Jideani IO, Kapila PF: 2015. Modeling of thin layer drying characteristics of banana cv. Luvhele. Bulg. J. Agric.

Sci., 21: Bulgarian Journal of Agricultural Science, 21 (No 2) 2015, 000–000 Agricultural Academy.

Omolola A O, Jideani A I O, Kapila PF.: 2015. Quality Properties of Fruits as Affected by Drying Operation. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2013.859563 Accepted author version posted online: 12 Feb 2015.

Omolola A O, Jideani A I O, Kapila PF :2014. Modelling microwave drying kinetics and moisture diffusivity of Mabonde banana variety IJAEB. Vol.7 No.6.

Kapila, P.F.: 2014. The Necessity of Improving Water Productivity in the Physical Water Scarcity Limpopo Province – South Africa. Journal of Agricultural farm Machinery. Vol. 10. Nr.3. ISSN 1306-0007

Omolola A 0, Jideani A I O, Kapila PF.: 2014. Microwave drying kinetics of banana (Luvhele spp). Journal on Processing and Energy in Agriculture. ISSN: 1450-5029.

Kment, P., Krepl, V., Kapila, P.F.: 2014. Development Assistance and Poverty Reduction in Central Asia. Agricultura Tropica Et Subtropica. Vol. 47,1.

Krepl, V., Al-Gaboori, Kapila P.F.: Manpower Development and Education System in agriculture in Iraq after Conflict Period. Tropentag 2014. Book of abstracts.

Rutto. R.C., Obiero J.P., Mutai E.B: 2014: Evaluation of land use change in Kiboko watershed, kenya Journal of Education Science and Technology, Vol2, No. 1, ISSN:2309-9240.

V.K. Too, C.T. Omuto, E.K. Biamah., Obiero J.P: 2014: Review of Soil Water Retention Characteristics (SWRC) Models between Saturation and Oven Dryness, Open Journal of Modern Hydrology, 4, 173-182.

Book Chapter J.P.O Obiero and J.O. Onyando. 2013: Climate. In: Kenya: A natural Outlook Developments in Earth Surface Processes, vol 16. Elsevier. B.V., Amsterdam.

Conference Papers and Proceedings

III INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL CONGRESS” AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY” BULGARIA, VARNA, 22-25 JUNE 2015. Paper presented: EVALUATION OF THE MAINTENANCE PRACTICES IN MECHANIZED AGRICULTURE – SADC REGION. Funded by Research and Publications Committee, UNIVEN. International SWAT conference 22-26 JUNE 2015. Contributed an oral presentation of a scientific paper to the 2015 International SWAT conference, June 24-26, 2015 – Sardinia, Italy Funded by Research and Publications Committee, UNIVEN.

12th INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON MECHANIZATION AND ENERGY IN AGRICULTURE (ADAGENG 2014). SEPTEMBER 3-6, 2014. Paper presented: “The Necessity of Improving Agricultural Water Productivity in the Physical Water Scarcity Limpopo Province – South Africa” was published in Journal of Machinery Science. Funded by Research and Publications Committee, UNIVEN.

John.P.O Obiero: 2014 Surface Runoff Simulation on catchment in Kenya using SWAT model. Proceedings of the National Workshop of Hydrological Society of Kenya held at the Kenya Water Institute (KEWI), Nairobi, Kenya 19-30/4/2104, ISBN:978-9966-078-12-4.

18th World Congress of the CIGR, Septemeber 16th -19th. China National Convetion Centre, Beijing, China. – paper: Simulation of Streamflow Components using Soil water Assessmmet Toll (SWAT) Model.

18th World Congress of the CIGR, Septemeber 16th -19th. China National Convetion Centre, Beijing, China. – paper: Evaluation of soil compaction under conservation tillage in South Africa.

18th World Congress of the CIGR, Septemeber 16th -19th. China National Convetion Centre, Beijing, China. – paper: Introduction, demonstration and promotion of mechanical cassava hravesting in sub-Saharan Africa.

ASABE Annual Conference Meeting (AIM). Louisville, USA. August 2011. Paper: Characterising the performamnce of a deep tilling down-cut rotavator fitted with L-shaped blades.

10th Biennial Pedometrics International Conferenace. World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF campus), Nairobi, 26 – 31/8/1013.

11th AFRICAN CROPS SCIENCE SOCIETY CONFERENCE, ENTEBBE, UGANDA. OCTOBER 14-17, 2013. Poster presented: “ Practices on soybean growth and yield in a semi-arid environment in Limpopo province, South Africa.”.

11th AFRICAN CROPS SCIENCE SOCIETY CONFERENCE, ENTEBBE, UGANDA. OCTOBER 14-17, 2013. Poster presented: Effect of tillage practices on sybean growth and yield in a semi-arid environment in Limpopo province, South Africa. Funded by Research and Publications Committee, UNIVEN.