TResearch autumn issue 2024 - focus on horticulture, food and packaging

The autumn 2024 issue of TResearch is now available to read and we have so many great articles to feature that this newsletter will be issued in three parts. In this second part, we focus on horticulture, food and packaging.

MASTERing food chain microbiomes

The Teagasc-led, EU-funded project MASTER focused on harnessing food chain microbiomes to benefit the global agri-food industry by improving the quantity, quality, safety and sustainability of foods.

Find out more in this article by Paul Cotter , Fiona Brennan, Sinéad Waters and Mairead Coakley .

Greening and growing

Research at the Horticulture Development Department in Ashtown has implemented a commercial vertical hydroponic system for growing leafy greens.

Vertical hydroponic farming is an innovative agricultural concept for food production. With the world’s population growing and rapidly urbanising, and expected to reach nearly 10 billion by 2050, vertical hydroponic production has a potential role to play in delivering food year-round, particularly in large population centres and colder climates.

Read more about it here in this article by Dr. Zoia Arshad Awan , Michael Gaffney and Lael Walsh .

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.

Siobhán Jordan FRSE and Ciara McDonagh tells us more about it in this article.

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 , Sheila Alves , Uma Tiwari , and Shivani Pathania tell us about their research work in this article.

Pack to the future

At Teagasc Ashtown’s Food Research Centre, Research Officers Lael Walsh , Shivani Pathania and their colleagues are at the forefront of fighting food waste and future-proofing food packaging with their Leaf No Waste project. You can read more about this on our team spotlight article.

Leading the way with LCA

Research at the Horticulture Development Department in Ashtown is examining the environmental impact of fruit and vegetables grown with biostimulant inputs and packaged with different packaging forms. Authors éamonn Walsh , Aiduan Borrion , and Lael Walsh tell is more in this article.

Sustainable, compostable packing solutions for fresh produce

Teagasc, through a Research Ireland -funded collaborative project with Technological University Dublin , is developing novel compostable packaging solutions based on sustainable raw materials including stinging nettles and rhubarb. Shivani Pathania and Miriam Walsh tell us more in this engagement opportunity.

Nisin G:? a novel anti-Fusobacterium nucleatum therapeutic

Researchers at Munster Technological University and Teagasc seek commercial partners to further develop and commercialise a bacterial strain for applications in functional foods, biotherapeutics and women’s vaginal health. Sharon Sheahan describes the opportunity in this article.

We hope you enjoyed reading about our latest research. Subscribe to our LinkedIn newsletter to be the first to know when a new issue of TResearch is released.