Research Activities

Understand the population dynamics of Irish grass weeds via genetic fingerprinting and profile their resistance to herbicides in order to develop effective IPM practises
Design and deploy DNA based diagnostic tests for crop disease profiling and abundance estimation
Quantify the importance of arable margins and other non-production zones in harbouring pests/diseases
Develop novel BYDV management strategies to offset the increased loss of chemical-based control measures
Evaluate the uptake and optimisation of IPM across the crops sector
Develop and appraise economic and environmental impact of IPM-based disease control strategies for cereals and potatoes

Investigate impact of crop establishment systems from ploughing to direct drilling through on crop productivity and ultimately economic and environmental indicators
Determine the diverse impact on crop performance and soil structural quality of crop establishment systems through rotation systems
Quantify the importance of specific break crops (e.g. oilseed rape, faba beans, peas) via varietal selection and design of best practises to support their economic viability in rotation
Identify the suitability of alternative crops (e.g rye, lupins) and more climate resilient (e.g. quinoa) crops to Irish conditions
Understand the genetic control of key traits impacting forage quality and self-incompatibility in forages
Develop new potato varieties with increased disease resistance and environmental adaptation that are commercially relevant for both domestic and export markets across fresh and processing categories in collaboration with IPM Potato Group Ltd.
Design and deploy novel breeding techniques (e.g. cisgenesis and editing) as well as genome-wide selection approaches to accelerate breeding strategies and support genetic improvement in potato and cereals
Monitor the rapid genetic evolution of cereal and potato pathogens to tailor current control solutions and ensure they are fit for purpose
Evaluate the efficacy of near-market fungicides for the control of cereal and potato diseases

Investigate parameters of crop growth, development and yield formation under environmental stress conditions to identify measures with the potential to increase resilience to extreme weather events
Evaluate pre-commercial cereal breeding collections to identify material better suited to Irish conditions, with a focus on low-input, climate resilience traits
Characterise genetic markers linked with key cereal agronomic traits of importance (e.g. disease resistance, flooding tolerance)
Ascertain profitable means of integrating cover crops into existing cropping systems
Improve nutrient use efficiency of crops through management techniques that support yields in light of future restrictions on fertiliser inputs
Understand future market needs and climatic environmental adaptations necessary to supply sustainable potato varieties both domestically and globally

Explore alternative market opportunities for current crop derived/waste streams post-processing for production of novel sources of high value protein and/or bio-refining
Identify means of achieving malting specifications for barley, particularly for distilling use, that are more consistent in light of increasing demand
Characterize the quality and variability of alternative Irish-grown grains aiming for higher value outlets in the malting and distilling sectors via our Centre for Brewing and Distilling