Minister Heydon announces awards of €1.7 million for soil, agri-digital research
- Published on: 3 August 2023
- Last updated on: 25 August 2023
Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with special responsibility for research and innovation, Martin Heydon, today announced awards of just over €1.7 million for five projects related to soils and agri-digital research.
Almost €1 million in funding is being awarded to two projects under the European Joint Programme on Agricultural Soil Management (EJP Soil). These will see University College Dublin, Teagasc and the Tyndall National Institute investigate the development of innovative sensing technologies for monitoring and mapping of soil management practices, and how climate-smart management of cropping systems can contribute to carbon sequestration and improved cycling of nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients.
Just over €0.5 million will go to two projects under the European Research Network for ICT Agri-Food. Here, UCD and Munster Technological University will be involved in examining artificial intelligence applications for farming, and ICT for traceability and transparency in food and beverages.
Almost €280,000 is being awarded for one project under the US-Ireland R&D Partnership. Trinity College Dublin will collaborate with US and Northern Irish partners to investigate biochar for excess soil phosphorous sorption with subsequent slow release for sustainable crop production.
Announcing the awards, Minister Heydon said:
“These five projects will see Irish researchers collaborate with other scientists across Northern Ireland, Europe and the US. There is a strong emphasis on soil research because good soil health is crucial in sequestering carbon, cycling nutrients, building resilience against climate change and is the foundation of our food systems. The research being supported in the area of agri-digitalisation, particular the use of artificial intelligence, is also exciting and has the potential to transform our agri-food systems to become more efficient, sustainable, and resilient.”
Notes
Irish financial support of €1,777,914 is being extended for the five projects across the EJP Soil, ICT-AGRI-FOOD and US-Ireland R&D Partnership research Calls. This is provided through the DAFM Research Programme.
EJP Soil 2nd External Call
Two research projects with Irish involvement including University College Dublin, Teagasc and Tyndall National Institute have been successful under the EJP SOIL 2nd External Call. These projects involve collaboration with research organisations from a total of 10 European countries and address the management of soils in the context of climate change, and research and development of innovative methods and sensing technologies for integrated monitoring and mapping of farm management practices.
ICT-AGRI-FOOD Call
Two successful research projects under the ICT-AGRI-FOOD 2023 Call involve Irish researchers from University College Dublin and Munster Technological University. These projects involve collaboration with research organisations from a total of 5 European countries and address ICT platforms for consumers to trace sustainable production practices, and the use of artificial Intelligence in precision farming.
US-Ireland R&D Partnership
The US-Ireland R&D Partnership is a tri-jurisdictional alliance between Ireland, Northern Ireland and the United States. A research project investigating engineered biochar to absorb excess soil phosphorus and slow release at a later stage for sustainable crop productivity, soil fertility and water protection has been successful under the Agricultural Call of the US-Ireland R&D Partnership. It involves collaboration between Trinity College Dublin, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute in Northern Ireland and Auburn University, in the USA.