Research Impact Highlights - Publications and innovation

Impact of Teagasc research publications

Compiled by Catriona Boyle

Teagasc uses two main approaches to identify the impact of its research: science excellence and societal impact. Science excellence focuses on peer-reviewed publications and their indicators of quality, while societal impact focuses on understanding the pathways through which such science is put into use and the changes it helps to bring about in society. Throughout this publication, we have identified the impact pathways for each of the featured research impacts.

Peer-reviewed publications

Measuring the impact of our research is a key activity for Teagasc. One method we use is to track and monitor the number of articles in scientific journals authored by Teagasc researchers. Another strategy involves tracking how many times these articles are cited by other journal articles.

There are a number of resources available providing these citation counts and other metrics. Teagasc uses Elsevier’s abstract and citation database, Scopus, and its accompanying research analysis and strategic insights tool, SciVal, to benchmark its research performance. Teagasc annually compares the performance of Teagasc articles (at least one Teagasc-affiliated author) to that of other relevant Research Performing Organisations for publications in a rolling six-year period.

Publication and citation patterns vary considerably across subject areas. Therefore, comparisons within subject categories are the most meaningful when using publication counts or citation-based metrics. To place our performance in a national context, we can compare Teagasc’s performance with that of Irish universities, within three relevant subject categories: (a) the broad category of Agricultural & Biological Sciences; and two narrower categories, (b) Food Science, and (c) Agronomy & Crop Science. Citation counts are merely a snapshot in time, as citations are accumulating constantly. The metrics shown are from SciVal as of 10 May 2024 using the All Science Journal Classification database (ASJC) subject area classifications.

How Teagasc compares

Comparing Teagasc with the top eight ranked universities in Ireland (2024 QS World University Rankings), for 2018 to 2023, in the SciVal broad category of Agricultural & Biological Sciences, Teagasc published the second highest number of publications (349) in 2023 (Figure 1). For the narrower category of Food Science (Figure 2), Teagasc had the highest overall number of publications (178); and, for Agronomy & Crop Science (Figure 3), Teagasc had the second overall number of publications (48).

The citation counts for the three ASJC subject areas were: Agricultural & Biological Sciences (ranked second at 915 citations); Food Science (ranked second at 614 citations); and Agronomy & Crop Science (ranked second at 100 citations).

The strong international and national reputation of Teagasc research is demonstrated by the fact that for 2018 to 2023, 57.5% of the Teagasc peer-reviewed articles indexed by SciVal listed international collaborators, with 36.8% listing national collaborators.

Of course, all bibliometric analysis must be placed in context and the impact of our research must be evaluated in various other ways to give the full picture.

The data presented was generated on 13/5/24 (using data up to 10/5/24). Please note that 2023 full-year data comparisons cannot be made until the Scopus cut-off date of the end of June each year. 

Agricultural & Biological Sciences

Figure 1: Number of papers by Teagasc and Irish universities that are indexed in the All Science Journal Classification database category Agricultural & Biological Sciences (2018-2023).

Food Science

Figure 2: Number of papers by Teagasc and Irish universities that are indexed in the All Science Journal Classification database category Food Science (2018-2023).

Agronomy and Crop Science

Figure 3: Number of papers by Teagasc and Irish universities that are indexed in the All Science Journal Classification database category Agronomy & Crop Science (2018-2023). 

Impacts from Technology development and adoption by Teagasc researchers

Compiled by Karen Dawson and Siobhán Jordan

With an ongoing commitment to research and innovation, Teagasc has harnessed cutting-edge research and technologies to address critical challenges facing farmers and agri-food producers to enhance productivity, sustainability and competitiveness, and ultimately to enable economic growth.

This year, the World Intellectual Property Organisation is challenging the global research committee to connect intellectual property and innovation with the UN Sustainability Development Goals (SDG) to build a sustainable future for all. Generating knowledge, new tools and resources alone will not deliver on our commitment to Ireland’s SDG National Implementation Plan. We also require effective translation of Teagasc-developed technological, economic and social innovations to the outside world, with researchers, knowledge and technology transfer playing a significant role.

Technology Transfer Offices, such as Engage@Teagasc, play a pivotal role in enabling agri-food sector innovation by facilitating the transfer of research findings, inventions, patents and expertise from Teagasc to industry. The team bridges the gap between research and commercialisation, fostering collaboration, driving technology adoption and catalysing transformative innovations that enhances impact from research.

Technology development and adoption significantly enhance the capacity of the agri-food sector to innovate and transform. By leveraging advanced tools such as genetic technologies, digital platforms and novel food processing techniques outlined in the case studies in this publication, farmers and producers gain access to real-time data and insights, enabling informed decision-making and targeted interventions. This fosters a culture of continuous improvement and innovation, driving productivity gains, sustainability and competitiveness.

Moreover, technology adoption facilitates collaboration and knowledge exchange within the agricultural and food community, catalysing the adoption of best practices and accelerating the pace of innovation. Ultimately, scientific insights and novel research empower the agri-food sector to adapt to evolving challenges and seize opportunities for transformative growth.

Vision of Research: A 100-year legacy

Poppies are common weeds in both winter and spring crops. Their impact on agricultural practices relies on their ability to produce high seed yield that can remain dormant in the soil for 100 years.

To understand this impact, imagine that the oilseed rape plant in the picture will produce an approximate number of 200 pods that will contain an average of 4,000 seeds per plant. In comparison, one poppy fruit can produce an average of 20,000 seeds. How old is the poppy seed in your crop field? 

This picture was taken in a winter oilseed rape field in Oak Park, Carlow.

Photo and description by:

Elena Grosu, Postdoctoral Researcher