TResearch
2024
Greening and growing Research at the Horticulture Development Department in Ashtown has implemented a commercial vertical hydroponic system for growing leafy greens. Research Officers Michael Gaffney and Zoia Awan are investigating hydroponic growth systems at Teagasc Food Research Centre, Ashtown. Photo credit: Iain White, Maxwell Photography Vertical hydroponic farming is an innovative […]
Entrepreneurial excellence Over the past three years Teagasc has made significant strides by partnering with various organisations to nurture entrepreneurial skills for the future leaders of the agri-food sector. Programmes like Food Works support entrepreneurs to innovate, scale and grow their companies, leading to significant global development opportunities. Photo credit: Fennell Photography […]
Full of beans As plant-based diets gain traction, Ireland is shifting its focus to high-quality plant proteins, notably faba beans. With production increasing, these beans promise soil enrichment, sustainable farming and advanced meat alternatives. Animesh Singh Sengar from Teasgasc Ashtown sets up the screw profile of pilot-scale extruder. Photo credit: Teagasc In […]
This little piggy went to market Joint research by Teagasc and Queen’s University Belfast suggests that consumers displaying characteristics including a high level of moral responsibility are more likely to buy high-welfare assured pork. Positive characteristics of higher welfare Irish pork could be included on product packaging to appeal to consumers’ perception […]
Pack to the future At Teagasc Ashtown’s Food Research Centre, Research Officers Lael Walsh and Shivani Pathania are at the forefront of fighting food waste and future-proofing food packaging with their Leaf No Waste project. For protecting resources and food security, it’s important to come up with viable methods for fighting […]
Events: my take-home message Teagasc’s researchers attend many events throughout the year, sharing the findings from their research with national and international audiences. Here, we capture the take-home messages – key pieces of information that our researchers want people to remember – from recent events. Event: Teagasc Forestry Open Day, at Teagasc, […]
The Irish frog Field biodiversity is often unsuspected, especially when the diversity of habitats can support a large diversity of species. Amphibians are indicators of the ecosystem’s health. They are very sensitive to pesticide and other environmental perturbation. Over the last few years, they have massively declined. However, they are very important […]
Microbial marvels Teagasc research is examining the beneficial symbiotic relationship between the soil microbiome and plant diversity in pasture systems. Agricultural grassland soils are a rich source of microbial life. These microorganisms – which include bacteria and fungi – are instrumental in fundamental ecosystem processes such as organic matter decomposition and nutrient […]
Beef and to the point For Teagasc’s dairy-beef research and KT programme, Research Officer Nicky Byrne and Walsh Scholar Jenny Abbott, DairyBeef500 Programme Manager Alan Dillon and Programme Advisor Fergal Maguire explain how their work supports Ireland’s world-class beef production systems. Can you explain the team’s role? Nicky: Over the past 10 […]
Beefing up the data Decision-support tools can facilitate more sustainable beef-on-dairy systems. The dairy and beef sectors are intrinsically linked. Approximately 75-80% of calves originating from the dairy herd are destined for slaughter; many are purchased at less than six weeks old. Since dairy farmers are often not directly impacted by the […]