Teagasc Nursery Stock Seminar

The Teagasc Nursery Stock Seminar took place on Thursday, 4 November in Teagasc Ashtown Research Centre, Dublin and online via Zoom. The event consisted of two sessions, covering growing media and technical updates.

Session One, which was chaired by Dermot Callaghan, Head of Teagasc Horticulture Development Department covered the area of growing media.

Session Two, which was chaired by Dónall Flanagan, Nursery Stock/ Ornamentals Specialised Advisor, Teagasc, consisted of technical updates.

The event featured an opening address from Pippa Hackett, Minister of State for Agriculture with responsibility for Land Use and Biodiversity.

View presentations below

Session 1 Growing media – Chair, Dermot Callaghan

• Sustainable growing media research and trends from Europe (PDF)
  Dr. Bart Vandercasteele, ILVO Belgium  (via Zoom)
• Professional growing media and what lies ahead for the nursery industry (PDF) 
  Kevin Mahon, Klassman Dielmann.
• The research challenge of replacing peat in growth media (PDF) 
  Dr. Michael Gaffney, Teagasc.
• Q & A session

Session 2 Technical updates – Chair, Dónall Flanagan

• Horizon Scanning for Emerging plant pests - The DAFM Pest Risk Analysis Unit (PRAU) (PDF)
  Andy Bourke and Conor McGee, Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine (DAFM)
• Technical updates for the nursery stock and woody plant industries (PDF)
  Dr. Andreas Wrede, Head of Horticulture testing, Chamber of Agriculture Schleswig Holstein - Leading German research agency. He will discuss growing media, crop nutrition, pest, disease and weed control as well as climate change issues being addressed by the research centre. (Prerecorded) 
• Discussion and close      

Watch webinar recording below