xv
xv
Chapter
1
Introduction to Agriculture
and Agricultural Mechanics . . .2
Agriscience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Revolutionizing Agriculture . . . . . . . . . . 5
Mathematics for Agricultural
Mechanics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Physical Science and Physics . . . . . . . 11
Chapter
2
Careers and Employability
Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Careers in the Agricultural
Mechanics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Job Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Securing Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Finding a Job in Agricultural
Mechanics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Maintaining Employment . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Chapter
3
Experiential Learning through
Agricultural Mechanics . . . . .42
Experiential Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Classroom and Laboratory
Instruction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
National FFA Organization . . . . . . . . . 45
Supervised Agricultural Experiences
(SAEs). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Developing an SAE Plan . . . . . . . . . . . 54
SAE Recordkeeping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Chapter
4
Trends and Emerging
Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
Sustainable Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Environmental Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Precision Agriculture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Biotechnology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Chapter
5
Safety and Developing Safe
Work Habits . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
Hazards in Agricultural Mechanics
and Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Safety Regulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Personal Protective Equipment . . . . . . 93
General Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Chemical Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Electrical Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Weather Hazards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Insect-Borne Illness . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Outdoor Equipment and
Machinery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
First Aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Contents