An image titled “The perfect apple” was officially announced as the overall winner of Teagasc’s Vision of Research and Innovation photography competition at an event in Oak Park House, Carlow on Thursday, 9 November, 2023.
The winning image was taken by Dr Alberto Ramos Luz, a Teagasc researcher at Oak Park, Carlow.
It shows an apple that was grown at a newly established research orchard in Oak Park. This orchard represents a fundamental step in developing the apple sector in Ireland. Its aim is to identify varieties suitable for the Irish climate, but also consumer and market needs, as well as identifying better forms of orchard management to obtain maximum yield efficiency and fruit quality. The apple shown showcases one of the forty-eight apple varieties that are being assessed.
The competition, which has been running since 2015, is open to all Teagasc staff and students with entrants aiming to visually capture the wide variety of research innovations related to their area of work.
This year’s competition attracted 76 entries, with the top 12 selected for an exhibition held in Teagasc Head Office in Oak Park House on Thursday night. Attendees at the event were also treated to a guided tour of the historical building and former home of MP Henry Bruen.
This year’s Vision of Research and Innovation photography competition was judged by a panel comprising; Jim Carroll, RTÉ, editor of RTÉ Brainstorm; Professor Chaosheng Zhang, University of Galway, Vice-Dean for Research, College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies and Catriona Boyle Teagasc, editor of TResearch magazine.
Speaking at the event, Teagasc Director Professor Frank O’Mara, said: “This event reflects Teagasc’s core mission of excellent research combined with communication of the outcomes of that research to stakeholders and the public. It is great to see such a strong focus on sustainability and biodiversity in the winning images as these are important priorities for us, as outlined in our Climate Action Strategy.”
