The Lead with ASABE
Science & Technology News
This podcast is produced by the American Society of Agricultural & Biological Engineers (ASABE), and seeks to:
•Share information about the important work the ASABE is accomplishing on behalf of its members and the agricultural and biological engineering profession
•Encourage potential ASABE members and agricultural and biological engineering students to join the society
•Generate more entries for awards and services and more registrants for ASABE events
•Recognize agricultural and biological engineering leaders
•Educate the audience about the agricultural and biological engineering profession
•Build community amongst professional agricultural and biological engineers
•Advance the profession of agricultural and biological engineering
Location:
United States
Genres:
Science & Technology News
Description:
This podcast is produced by the American Society of Agricultural & Biological Engineers (ASABE), and seeks to: •Share information about the important work the ASABE is accomplishing on behalf of its members and the agricultural and biological engineering profession •Encourage potential ASABE members and agricultural and biological engineering students to join the society •Generate more entries for awards and services and more registrants for ASABE events •Recognize agricultural and biological engineering leaders •Educate the audience about the agricultural and biological engineering profession •Build community amongst professional agricultural and biological engineers •Advance the profession of agricultural and biological engineering
Language:
English
Website:
http://www.asabe.org
Episodes
Puerto Rico Coffee Production Seeks Harvest Efficiencies
1/27/2026
In this episode, learn more about coffee production in Puerto Rico from Francisco Monroig-Saltar, Director, Department of Agricultural & Biological Engineering, University of Puerto Rico. Monroig discusses coffee harvesting methods and labor shortages in cultivating the world's favorite beverage.
Duration:00:16:55
Applying Ag Engineering Principles at Delta Dirt Distillery
1/6/2026
In this episode, we hear from Delta Dirt Distillery founder and CEO, Harvey Williams, as he shares his journey in agriculture engineering and building a successfuly family distilling business in Arkansas. Williams shares how his ag engineering expertise was essential in setting up the distillery, how he navigates family business challenges, how the family uses sweet potatoes and corn to make award-winning vodka, and more.
Duration:00:29:53
Achieving Circularity Goals with Public-Private Partnerships
12/23/2025
In this episode, Maury Salz, ASABE Foundation President, and Jim Ethington, CEO, Arable Labs, discuss a recent project where big data meets regenerative processes for a more sustainable future. Google led a major conservation project and got ASABE members involved to help engineer a solution to save water. Arable Labs was a key player in helping bring the plan to fruition.
Duration:00:24:44
Monitoring In-Shell Peanut Kernel Moisture Content in Real Time
11/30/2025
In this episode, Micah Lewis, Ph.D., Research Agricultural Engineer, USDA Agricultural Research Service, discusses his research into using a distributed network of microwave moisture sensors to monitor in-shell peanut kernel moisture content in real time during drying.
You'll learn why peanuts stay in shell during post-harvest processing, the limitations of determining kernel moisture content during drying and while in storage, how peanuts are graded, and so much more.
Duration:00:29:13
Do Women Need Different Tools?
11/15/2025
In this episode, Felix Oguche, a Ph.D. student in biological engineering at the University of Missouri, discusses his research on the ergonomic evaluation of scoop shovels and pitchfork usage and the impact on women’s body mechanics in agriculture.
Women use these tools every day to do agricultural tasks, but it takes a toll on their bodies because those tools were designed to be used by men.
Oguche discusses the trials he did with women using these tools and the insights he learned.
Duration:00:28:43
Integrating & Testing Wireless Data Communication Systems for Autonomous Liquid Application Platforms
10/31/2025
This episode features Ketan Shende, a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Florida. Shende discusses wirelessly transferring data from autonomous equipment in real-time and the challenges that task poses. Learn more about the wireless data communication system his team devised and tested it in the field.
Duration:00:27:13
The Dehytray: Simple, Innovative Solar Dryer
10/15/2025
In this episode, we hear from Klein Ileleji, Professor and Extension Engineer, Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University; founder, CEO, and CTO of JUA Technologies International; and co-chair of the ASABE Alliance for Modernizing African Agrifood Systems (AMAA).
Ileleji talks about the many challenges facing smallholder farmers in Africa and how the Dehytray portable solar dryer works to help dry fresh fruits and vegetables, making them more sanitary for consumption.
Duration:00:30:33
One Young Engineer Shares His Story
9/19/2025
Quentin Schneider, PE, Project Engineer, Clapsaddle-Garber Associates, shares his story of how he became involved in ASABE and the impact it's had on his career in agricultural engineering. Today, he serves as Chair of YPC and is an up and coming leader in the ag engineering field--but how did he get to where he is today? Find out in this podcast.
Duration:00:22:37
Launching a Precision Ag Program at Utah State University
9/8/2025
In this podcast, we explore the challenging process of creating a new collegiate level program for precision agriculture, as explained by Utah State University professor Matt Yost, Ph.D. Yost discusses why interest in precision agriculture is rapidly increasing, the collaboration involved between faculty from different colleges within the university, and other nuances in the process.
Duration:00:23:23
ASABE Giving Back Fund: Making a Difference in Malawi
8/15/2025
In this episode, Walter Eshenaur shares about a unique project that was supported by the ASABE Giving Back Fund to bring running water to a school in Malawi. He elaborates on the importance of ag engineering to the project and the many factors that went into making the project a success.
Duration:00:27:53
Hear From ASABE’s New Executive Director, Cedric Calhoun
8/7/2025
In this special episode, we're talking with ASABE's newly minted Executive Director, Cedric Calhoun. You'll hear about his background and where he sees ASABE going in the future.
Duration:00:21:57
Part 2: Robotics in Blackberry Harvesting
6/24/2025
This interview is part 2 of the discussion with Xin Zhang, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural & Biological Engineering, Mississippi State University, on her team's research into building a robotic blackberry harvester.
Duration:00:18:19
Automated Blackberry Harvesting
6/18/2025
In this episode, Xin Zhang, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural & Biological Engineering, Mississippi State University, discusses a perception system that her team has created for robotic blackberry harvesting. Artificial intelligence plays a role in the perception system and it also has a mobile platform.
Duration:00:25:57
Energy Use Efficiency for Indoor Plant Environments
5/16/2025
In this episode, Jerome Trudel-Brais, a doctoral engineering student at ETS Montreal, discusses his findings after doing an evaluation of 47 different studies related to controlled environment agriculture facilities, including why energy use efficiency is necessary in CEA facilities, why indoor plant environments have such a high demand for energy, metrics for tracking energy use efficiency, and more.
Duration:00:15:50
Remote Sensing Allows Farmers to View Their Fields From Home
4/30/2025
In this episode, James Kim, Ph.D., Research Agricultural Engineer with USDA and adjunct professor in agricultural and biological engineering at North Dakota State University, based in Fargo, N.D., discusses how satellite remote sensing provides farmers with a method for monitoring crops on a large scale. He discusses the prediction about the number of satellites, why the increasing availablility of small satellites has created opportunity for remote sensing, and more.
Duration:00:20:26
Utilizing Bayesian Statistics to Predict Experimental Friction Coefficients of Corn Stover
4/1/2025
In this episode, we take a deep dive into friction coefficient and how it affects mechanical interactions of milled corn stover particles during biofuel production. Using Bayesian statistics, a Penn State University Ph.D. graduate assistant was able to change the preprocess to influence how corn stover is used.
Duration:00:14:32
An Ag Engineer’s Guide to Retirement & Insurance
3/18/2025
In this episode, Investment Advisor Tom Hodgson, Lutz Financial, discusses retirement and insurance questions that ag engineers--and anyone--can and should discuss with their loved ones. There's no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to planning for your future.
Duration:00:29:59
Take a Deep Dive Into Millet
2/28/2025
This episode explores millet and its role in human diets over thousands of years, how the grain is being used in today's menus, and the nutritional benefits of adding millet to your diet. We're talking with Roselle Barretto, doctoral candidate, Agricultural & Biological Engineering, Kansas State University, who authored an article in ASABE's Resource magazine about this topic.
Duration:00:18:16
Africa’s Future in Agriculture Depends on Young Professionals
2/15/2025
In this episode, we talk with Taisha Venort, Ph.D., a research data scientist with Corteva about agriculture in Africa, how technology is revolutionizing the industry in Africa, entrepreneurship in African agriculture, and how young people will lead African agriculture forward. This podcast is based on the YPC Career Panel that was held during the 2023 Alliance for Modernizing African Agri-Food Systems International Conference.
Duration:00:19:39
Meet the New ASABE Journals Editor in Chief
1/31/2025
In this episode, we visit with Sudhagar Mani, professor, University of Georgia College of Engineering and the new Editor in Chief for ASABE Journals. Mani shares why journals are so important to the work of ASABE, why ASABE members should publish their research, services available to ASABE members for publishing, and more.
Duration:00:22:15