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Agriland
26-05-2025
- Business
- Agriland
DkIT students represent Ireland at AgriNext competition
Seven students from the third year of the bachelor of science in Sustainable Agriculture programme at Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) represented Ireland at the AgriNext 'Dream Job = Green Job' video trailer competition which took place in Cordoba, Spain recently. Lauren Acheson, Katie Cooney, Chantelle Ging, Keva Keogh, Millie Rice, Caoimhe Tully, and Rachel White made up the two teams from Ireland, demonstrating DkIT's advocacy for multifunctional agriculture. The students took part in an intensive week of intercultural events, educational workshops, and farm visits with other students from Spain, Croatia, Slovenia and Hungary. The entry from Biotehniski Center Naklo in Slovenia was announced as the winner for their video titled: 'How buying food locally supports multifunctional agriculture'. Speaking on return from the trip, Eamon Mullen, lecturer at the Department of Agriculture, Food and Animal Health at DkIT said: 'This was an amazing experience for our students and they represented themselves, DkIT and Ireland admirably. 'The event was a fantastic way to showcase the efforts that the participants from all across Europe are making to use multifunctional agriculture as a means to make farming a viable, environmentally responsible and socially beneficial activities for farmers and their communities. 'We'd like to especially thank Elaine Cleary and all the team at TUS (Technological University of the Shannon) for the opportunity to enter this competition and for making the experience so memorable and rewarding.' The event was organised as part of the Erasmus+ Agri-Next project which is a partnership between several educational and rural development institutions from across Europe. Leading in Ireland is the Sustainable Development Research Institute (SDRI) based in Thurles, which is part of the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS). Speaking about the programme, Elaine Cleary, researcher at the SDRI said: 'It is a fantastic project to showcase how flexible learning can enhance multi-functional opportunities in farming across Europe and we are delighted to be working on the next steps, including a Business Incubator Centre to create a learning environment where educators, industry experts and employers can interact.' Cordoba is located in the Andalusia region of southern Spain and has the unique distinction of being the only city in the world with four UNESCO World Heritage sites. Most of the events were based at the Galileo Galilei Centre of Excellence in the Vocational Training campus, which offers courses in sectors ranging from agriculture and emergency services to sociocultural studies and community care. During the stay, the DkIT students were treated to an authentic Andalusian welcome and experienced the rich heritage of the region, with everything from Spanish tapas dining, kayaking along the Guadalquivir River, exploring the prehistoric caves of Cueva de los Murcielagos, watching classical and Andalusian horse-riding, to listening to the unique flamenco style of music and dancing. The promotion of multifunctional agriculture was the central theme of the campus events held throughout the week. This approach encourages farmers to combine traditional farming with non-traditional activities – such as agritourism, renewable energy production, or educational programmes – to generate financial, environmental, and social benefits for both themselves and their communities. As part of the Agri-Next competition, DkIT teams created videos showcasing how farmers could diversify their operations to embrace this model. These ideas were further explored in a series of workshops, where participants shared best practices, exchanged ideas, and learned from one another's experiences. DkIT students DkIT student Caoimhe Tully described the week as 'an incredible opportunity', noting 'it was great to meet students from across Europe and learn about different approaches to sustainable farming'. 'The workshops and farm visits gave us a real insight into how multifunctional agriculture can work in practice,' she added. One of the highlights of the trip was a visit to an agro-livestock farm based in the hills outside the city. The farm encompassed the whole farm-to-fork concept by rearing its own livestock and then having the meat from the herd available in its restaurant which is also situated on the farm. The week finished with a visit to the college's own farm (La Finca) to view the horticultural, livestock, and equestrian facilities, and officially ended with a traditional Andalusian tapas lunch prepared by the headmaster of the college and its staff. Reflecting on the experience, DkIT student Katie Cooney said: 'It was such a great opportunity to learn about how different countries are creating innovative ways to improve farm diversification, and to also meet lots of different people from agricultural backgrounds.' Head of Department of Agriculture, Food and Animal Health at DkIT, Dr. Siobhán Jordan said: 'We are incredibly grateful for this valuable opportunity and enriching experience for our students. 'Sincere thanks to Elaine Cleary from the Sustainable Development Research Institute at TUS and the AgriNext Project for organising this initiative. It provided our students with a unique chance to explore agricultural diversification and innovation on an international stage.'
Agriland
26-04-2025
- Health
- Agriland
Boost soil carbon levels for healthier medium and yields
It is often remarked that Irish soils have been badly damaged over the years through ill husbandry and exploitation of its inherent nutrients and structure. These are weighty charges that are not to be dismissed lightly, for it is upon soil that all farming – and ultimately human nutrition – is based, so its proper functioning is important to all of us. Yet before we can ask after the state of a soil, we need to get to grips with what it actually is for. Although there is soil everywhere we go, familiarity tends to blunt our interest in the finer details of its composition and purpose. Thin layer of life A simple description is that soil is the boundary layer between the rock of this planet's outer shell and the atmosphere, where that rock lies above the level of the oceans. Soil is composed of three main constituents – minerals, water, and gasses – with the organic matter sometimes being divided into dead carbon-based material and live organisms. Optimum soil will contain 25% water and 25% air, according to Lena Madden, senior research fellow at the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS). While this is the ideal, she questions the existence of such a soil in Ireland, pointing out that we have a wet climate which tends to encourage the waterlogging of soil, excluding the air that is so vital to its health. Moisture management There is little can be done about the climate, so controlling the rainfall is out of the question. Yet the rate at which the water drains away or is retained are factors that can be modified to large extent, so it is these that farmers need to focus on when optimising soil husbandry. Soil acidity and nutrient status are the two main features over which there is a great deal more control, and it is these that the Irish government have focussed on through the advice given by Teagasc over the years. Dr Lena Madden (fourth from left) with colleagues from the Irish Living Labs project However, Dr. Madden questions whether these are still the appropriate factors to highlight when considering the health of the soil, for soil needs to function as a growing medium, rather than just a reservoir for nutrients, if yields are to be maintained. To function properly, soil needs a structure, which is often badly damaged by compaction. Dr, Madden highlights this compaction as a major concern, suggesting that perhaps it would be better to address this issue instead of the pursuit of ensuring a supposedly correct balance in the nutrient bank. The senior research fellow also urges for soil not to be regarded as a lifeless mix. She said it is the microorganisms within it that create the structure, and it is the care for these -be they worms, fungi, or any of the millions of species that live beneath the ground – that holds the key to soil health. Dr. Madden also suggested that we must also stop regarding the the first 5-10cm of soil as its true extent. She said he roots of a pasture should extend to 20-30cm and stock farmers need to consider the functioning of the soil at this depth alongside the mat of roots nearer the surface. Carbon is the answer Compaction is the curse of all soils and, here in Ireland, the high rainfall exacerbates the issue, not only discouraging root growth but causing run-off and the erosion of soils. The best way to improve the situation, Dr. Madden believes, is to increase the amount of organic carbon in soils, and she has set this out as a major focus for the studies and trials being conducted under the EU-funded Living Lab project. Meanwhile, the researcher urges farmers to do whatever they can to add more carbon to their soils, noting that one quick fix may be the addition of woodchips mixed with slurry, though she notes that all solutions are site-specific. Two factions, two resources As for slurry itself, the ability to separate it and treat the two factions as different materials is a step forward and may hold potential in helping to extract the greatest benefit from it. Using either slurry or crops for energy production is a waste of resources according to Dr Madden Bovine-sourced farm slurry is a great carbon resource, although it will vary in nutrient content, and Dr Madden has no time for feeding it to an anaerobic digester for the production of methane. This, she points out, removes a large part of the carbon from the material, as is intended, leaving a nutrient-rich broth thatoffers little benefit in the way of improving soil composition and structure. Compost for soil Composting of carbon-rich residues, such as straw and other crop residues, in conjunction with slurry is another idea that appeals to those wishing to address the deficit of organic carbon in soils. Compositing dairy bedding in a purpose-built facility in the Netherlands. The farm specialises in high-value crops Unfortunately this is a process which adds costs to production in the short-term. While the benefits should appear further down the line as soil condition improves, that is a hard sell to many in conventional farming. Crop residues such as forest thinnings are also in demand from power stations running on biomass, further adding to the competition between farmers and the energy industry for what were once considered waste products. Overall outlook There has always been an appreciation of the role of organic matter in farming. With the post-green revolution. much of this understanding was swept away with the reliance on scientific method rather than the wisdom and empathy developed over hundreds of generations. It is that course of action which is being questioned now as never before, as overall yields plateau rather than enjoy the dramatic annual increases experienced during the years leading up to the turn of the century. In an effort to once more push forward with increasing yields, or maintaining yields whilst reducing inputs, the Living Labs project is seeking to reintroduce the accumulation and dissemination of knowledge horizontally between farmers at ground-level, and displacing to a certain extent the current top-down approach of institutions instructing and advising. It is this approach which Dr Madden feels will help reinforce the circularity of farming and, by extension, society in general through a collective approach that holds a healthy rural community at the heart of its efforts to feed humanity.
Business Post
26-04-2025
- Automotive
- Business Post
Manufacturing Solutions Ireland 2025: Expanded Two-Day Event Returns to TUS
The premier Irish-UK collaborative manufacturing event, Manufacturing Solutions Ireland 2025, returns to Limerick on June 11th and 12th, hosted at the Technological University of the Shannon's (TUS) state-of-the-art Coonagh Campus. Now taking place over two days, this year's event promises the most comprehensive edition yet, featuring over 120 exhibitors, live machinery demonstrations, and expert-led conferences exploring the future of manufacturing. Organised by TUS in partnership with the Gauge and Tool Makers Association (GTMA), Manufacturing Solutions has grown since its 2016 launch into a cornerstone event for the engineering and manufacturing sectors. Designed to drive technology transfer between specialist suppliers and industry, the event empowers businesses to sharpen their competitive edge through innovation and collaboration. Alan Arthur, CEO of the GTMA, said: 'We are delighted to again work with our partners at TUS to stage this fantastic event. Now in the state-of-the-art engineering campus at Coonagh, there is more space, and we expect even higher visitor numbers, generating a great vibe. The event is now run over two days and features the latest machinery. It's been lauded as one of the best manufacturing shows in Ireland — a true testament to the collaboration between TUS, GTMA, and the world-class exhibitors who bring cutting-edge processes, materials, and technology to the show.' This year's showcase will span the latest in precision engineering, toolmaking, metrology, rapid product development, and smart manufacturing technologies. Major exhibitors delivering live demonstrations include Mills CNC, Hurco, Starrag, ZEISS, ETG Ireland, Haas, Team Air Power, DG Systems / Haitian International Germany, TLM/FOBA Laser, and FANUC, among others. Running alongside the exhibition is a dedicated conference programme, tackling sectoral challenges and innovation. Highlights include: David Askew, Rolls-Royce manufacturing engineer, presenting on Bridging the Chasm – Delivering Tooling Automation from Innovation to Implementation, focusing on the role of tooling automation in the manufacture and assembly of Civil Aerospace gas turbines. Bob Barton, process innovations manager at Bespak, presenting on Toolmaking Requirements for Medical Device Moulding, offering practical insights into design-for-manufacture principles. Quentin Willson, renowned motoring broadcaster and founder of FairCharge, who will explore Manufacturing Opportunities for UK EV Batteries and Components — a timely topic as Europe scales up electric vehicle capacity. A major highlight of this year's programme will be a panel discussion exploring Trade Relations. This timely discussion will bring together industry leaders to explore the evolving trade dynamics between the UK and Ireland post-Brexit, the global supply chain, and the impact of emerging tariffs and regulations. With free entry, free parking, and free refreshments, Manufacturing Solutions Ireland 2025 offers outstanding value for professionals across engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain sectors. Event Details: Dates: June 11th & 12th, 2025 Time: 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM
