Vision of Research and Innovation
The annual Vision of Research and Innovation image competition invites all Teagasc staff and students to submit digital images created in the course of their work. The aim is to find the most innovative and compelling images showing the range of research and innovation activities taking place across the organisation.
Winners 2024
The Irish green (Marta Niedzicka)
The samples of various plants, gathered mainly from arable margins, are stored in plastic tubes waiting for further processing.
Wild plants growing in arable margins may act as potential reservoirs for viruses, transmitted to crops by aphids. To improve Integrated Pest Management strategies, we need to evaluate if these reservoirs lead to increased likelihood of virus incidence in the crops. This evaluation of their potential role is one of the goals of the HealthyPlants project.
Crafting Pea Bread (Mariana Macas and Barbara Biduski)
A food researcher delicately sifts flour over a fresh loaf of pea bread. The soft, golden loaves are enhanced with a sprinkle of pea flour, highlighting the unique process of incorporating legumes into baked goods. A basket of beautifully shaped pea bread rests nearby, showcasing the diversity of shapes and textures that can be achieved.
The breads promise both nutrition and flavor, representing the future of sustainable, plant-based bakery goods.
The Sea and the Slob (Charlotte Morgan)
Evolving grass weed challenges restrict the uptake of carbon-smart crop production systems. Increasing herbicide resistance and a declining armoury of herbicides challenges our ability to control problem weeds such as brome, black grass and wild oats. More sustainable crop establishment systems including min-till, and direct drill are constrained by grass weed challenges and lack of knowledge concerning the impact of cultivation depth and intensity on carbon footprint.
This image was captured during fieldwork at the sea wall in Wexford. A look over the sea wall shows a completely different landscape, yet the two co-exist in harmony.
When pigs can choose where to nap (Ophelie Menant)
In the north and south of Ireland, pigs are produced in a variety of outdoor systems. They offer an enriched environment where animals can move freely, express their natural behaviours and choose where to do it. Access to large pasture areas enabled this Tamworth pig to have a nap in the fresh air after grazing and rooting. Outdoor systems not only help conserve such traditional breeds but they also contribute to land management in pasture systems.
Outstanding in her field (Eliza Murphy and Rachel Doyle)
This project used in vitro embryo production (IVP) to generate elite genetic merit offspring from a dairy breed (Holstein-Friesian) and a beef breed used for crossing with dairy dams (Angus). Male beef calves suitable for future use in artificial insemination have been generated, integrating the dairy and beef sectors in Ireland.
Ziplining Dungfly (Maximilian Schughart)
BYDV is one of the most detrimental infecting agents affecting cereal production worldwide. The time of infection has a huge impact on the magnitude of yield losses.
During fieldwork in a winter barley crop in county Laois, a dungfly was caught in a spiderweb. However, dungflies are usually the predators of other smaller flies themselves, and far too big as a prey for a spider. After a short ride on the spiderweb zipline, the dungfly managed to free itself and went on its own way again.
“Sheep graze beneath the timeless peaks of Ben Bulben” (Karla Burke)
This project aims to provide novel insights into how agricultural grassland management intensity influences the turnover of essential macronutrients for plant growth and soil health, specifically nitrogen, carbon and phosphorus. Three different types of management intensity were sampled: conventionally managed sites; low-input- species rich sites; and extensively managed sites.
Throughout a sampling campaign that spanned across Ireland, numerous picturesque sites were observed, all the while keeping the principal scientific objective of the project in mind.
Sheep captured grazing on a farm in county Sligo where the view of Ben Bulben is exceptional.
Potato fields in summer (Katie Hetherington)
The potato breeding program at Oak Park has been in existence since 1962 and has released over 40 varieties since its foundation. Fourteen varieties have been released since 2002 and over 25 of these are still in commercial production today. The ability to identify traits of interest such as disease resistance at an early stage is key to the breeding process.
By testing small amounts of plant material for markers associated with the genes governing these traits, we can identifying resistant material at an early stage in the breeding process.
Farmed to fork (Maximilian Schughart)
BYDV is one of the most detrimental infecting agents affecting cereal production worldwide. The time of infection has a huge impact on the magnitude of yield losses.
As the experimental trials in the front were still standing, the big spring barley field surrounding it was being harvested. Reaching our research goals to improve yields and to contribute to a sustainable farming future would not be possible without the great work of our staff.
Fresh apples glistening after the Irish rain. (Jean do Prado)
This vibrant photo captures ripe red apples, part of the Smart Apples project by Teagasc, hanging on a branch after rainfall. Water droplets cling to the apples and leaves, showcasing the fresh produce. The project focuses on precision farming to enhance apple quality and yield. The rich red apples contrast with the lush green leaves, reflecting the harvest season, typically from September to October. The blurred orchard background creates a serene atmosphere, while highlighting the careful cultivation and sustainability efforts involved.
Life from Decay – A Microcosm of Biodiversity in a Forest (Dheeraj Rathore)
The aim of this project is to restore ash populations in Ireland. It does this by bringing together multi-disciplinary teams to identify genotypes tolerant to ash dieback disease.
This vibrant image highlights the intricate beauty of decaying wood, where moss thrives and life cycles continue within the forest ecosystem. It exemplifies the biodiversity and ecosystem services provided by decomposing matter, serving as both habitat and food for countless organisms. The decay process is essential to nutrient cycling and forest health, demonstrating the critical role fungi, moss, and wood play in sustaining these ecosystems.
Under the microscope: β-glucan rich cell walls of an oat kernel (Nefeli Lampoglou, Daniela Freitas, Andre Brodkorb, Atikur Rahman)
Foodwise has identified a key growing opportunity for Ireland’s tillage sector in the increasing demand for oats due to their nutritional and health benefits: e.g. gluten-free alternative to wheat, improvement of cardiovascular disease markers.
Rich in protein, fat, and dietary fibre, oats are gaining popularity among other cereals. Variations in nutritional composition among varieties make some stand out with favourable attributes. Beta-glucan is a soluble fibre located mostly in the cell walls of oats and barley, and can help us keep our blood glucose and cholesterol under control!