Teagasc unveils winners of 2026 ‘Visions of Research and Innovation’ photo competition
The winners of the twelfth annual Teagasc ‘Visions of Research and Innovation’ photo competition have been announced.
The competition celebrates the diversity of research and innovation undertaken across Teagasc, using photography to offer a different perspective on the science, people and environments involved in its work.
Announced at an event in Teagasc Head Office, Oak Park, Carlow, on Wednesday, November 11th, 2026, the winning image, entitled ‘Hidden Gems of the Forest Floor’, was captured by Abhishek Singh, a Teagasc Walsh Scholar based at Oak Park, Carlow.
Featuring a colourful cluster of fungi on a forest floor, Abhishek Singh captured the photograph while carrying out field research into ash dieback, a serious disease affecting ash trees in Ireland and across Europe. While collecting samples of the fungus responsible for the disease, he encountered a vibrant cluster of Flammulina fungi, highlighting the remarkable biodiversity found on the forest floor.
Abhishek Singh, Teagasc Walsh Scholar and overall winner of the 2026 Visions of Research and Innovation photography competition, with his winning image, Hidden Gems of the Forest Floor. Pictured with Director of Teagasc, Professor Frank O’Mara.
The competition, which has been running since 2015, is open to all Teagasc staff and students. This year’s entries were judged by a panel comprising Catriona Boyle, Teagasc editor of TResearch magazine; wildlife photographer Dr. Darren O’Brien; and Professor Chaosheng Zhang, Professor of Geography at the University of Galway.
Speaking at the event, Professor Frank O’Mara, Director of Teagasc, congratulated the winner and all those who participated in the competition.
“Research is often communicated through scientific papers, reports and statistics, but these photographs show another side of the work undertaken across Teagasc. They capture the beauty, complexity and diversity of our research and offer the public a different perspective on the work of our researchers.
“The competition is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the creativity of our staff and students, and to highlight the important research taking place across Teagasc. I would like to thank our judges for their time and expertise in reviewing the entries. I also congratulate Abhishek on his winning photograph, and all 12 finalists on the quality of their work,” Professor O’Mara said.
The 12 photographs selected for the 2026 Visions of Research and Innovation exhibition and calendar are:
- Breaking Dormancy: A Faba Bean Germinates — Mariana Macas
- Convulsions of a Cereal Killer — Fiona Hutton
- Multimilk — Brendan Horan
- Where Every Apple Begins — Alberto Ramos Luz
- Colour in the Margins: A Wildflower-Rich Field Margin — Raquel Caetano Ferreira
- Sparking an Inner Fire with Socrates — Paul Fitters
- Golden Harvest — Maximilian Schughart
- Flowers for the Future — Saorla Kavanagh, Meritxell Grau Butinyac and Niall Walshe
- Shade of Sustainability — Ian Short
- Deadwood Sustaining Forest Life — Dheeraj Rathore
- Hidden Gems of the Forest Floor — Abhishek Singh (Overall Winner)
- Nice to Meet Ya’ — Stijn Brouwers
The exhibition forms part of Teagasc’s programme of activities for Science Week 2026, which runs from 8 to 15 November, highlighting the contribution of science and research to Irish society.
View the 12 photographs selected from the 2026 ‘Visions of Research and Innovation’ exhibition on the Teagasc website: https://teagasc.ie/about/research-innovation/vision-of-research/