Teagasc unveil winners of Research and Innovation photo competition 2022

An image titled “Bio-Control” 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 Monday, 14 November. 

The winning image, showcasing the common native species Green-Orb Weavers at work in a rye field, was taken by Fiona Hutton, Teagasc technologist. Green-Orb Weavers are extremely beneficial as a natural bio-control in crops.

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 57 entries, with the top 12 selected for an exhibition held in Teagasc Head Office in Oak Park House on Monday night. Attendees at the event were also treated to a guided tour of the historical building and former home of MP Henry Bruen.

The 12 winning images featured in the exhibition were; 

• “Bio-Control” by Fiona Hutton, 
• “Under the shoulders of giants” by Ian Short,
• “Next Generation” by Fiona Hutton, 
• “Transforming Green to Gold: The Alchemy of Irish Cheese” by Richard Page,
• “Looking into the eyes of a pig” by Lucy Markland,
• “Lake side view” by Leona Murphy, 
• “Re-designed bread” by Barbara Biduski,
• “Dotty dots on trees” by Dheeraj Rathore,
• “Hidden colours revealed - The science of leaf colour change” by Dheeraj Rathore,
• “Golden Harvest” by Maximilian Schughart,
• “Peeping poppies amidst the gold” by Anne Kinsella 
• “The honeycomb in your spuds” by Daniela Freitas.  

These images will be included in the annual Teagasc calendar which will be delivered to stakeholders before Christmas. View the winning images here Click here ... 

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); and Catriona Boyle (Teagasc, editor of TResearch magazine).

Speaking at the event, Teagasc Director Professor Frank O’Mara, said: “I wish to congratulate and thank all staff who submitted entries for our 2022 Vision of Research and Innovation photography competition. The calibre of entries was extremely high, as demonstrated by the wonderful collection of images on display tonight. I am delighted to say that this photography competition continues to grow from strength to strength and is a valuable asset in helping to promote the research of Teagasc to a wider audience.” 

The Vision of Research exhibition at Teagasc Head Office is part of the ‘Festival of Farming and Food – SFI Science Week’ at Teagasc, which runs from November 9-19, 2022.  

Photo 1: Winning image 2022 – Fiona Hutton – Bio-control

“Bio-Control” by Fiona Hutton was the overall winner of the Teagasc Vision of Research and Innovation photography competition 2022. Fiona’s image showcases the common native species Green-Orb Weavers at work in a rye field.

Photo 2: Fiona Hutton Vision of Research winner and Professor Frank OMara

Fiona Hutton, overall winner of Teagasc’s Research and Innovation photography competition 2022 pictured with Professor Frank O’Mara, Teagasc Director at the Teagasc Vision of Research and Innovation Exhibition which took place in Oak Park House, Carlow on Monday, 14 November.