China has a longest history of tools innovation and development for agriculture on the world but became
backward between the Qing Dynasty and 1940s. Since the 1950s especially since the reform and opening
policies started in 1978, agricultural engineering has made tremendous achievements in China. Agricultural
engineering was referred to as agricultural mechanization before 1978. Agricultural engineering has been
gradually understood and agricultural mechanization, agricultural water and soil engineering, agricultural
bio-environment and energy engineering, and agricultural electrification and automation engineering have
been developed and have contributed to the overall agricultural achievement.
Agricultural engineering is entering the age of bio-systems engineering in 21st century. The future needs from
the agriculture and the development of agricultural engineering are briefly described.