Today marks the 50th anniversary of the setting up of the Agriculture Research Institute, which now forms part of Teagasc.
A number of events are planned to take place throughout the year to celebrate its achievements in farm and food research over the last half-century.
Professor Gerry Boyle, Teagasc director, said their research has provided a firm scientific foundation for modern agriculture and the dynamic food industry in Ireland today.
Food research has helped the industry address issues of quality and safety in relation to cheese, milk powders, and meat, as well as the development of new initiatives such as spreadable butter.
Among the Teagasc research highlights of the last 50 years are:
* The successful potato-breeding programme which delivered new varieties such as Rooster, now the dominant variety in the Irish market.
* Tillage research led to tripling yields over a 20-year period, and dramatically improving the quality of malting barley.
* Dairy research at Moorepark on milking techniques and machines led to significant improvements in milk quality.
* Revolutionary developments in grass preservation facilitated the rapid expansion in livestock numbers on Irish farms.
* The sheep-breeding programme developed a new highly prolific Belclare breed of sheep.
* The current knowledge and understanding of the soils of Ireland was pioneered at the research centre in Johnstown Castle.
* In the horticulture sector, new mushroom growing techniques led to the creation of a new industry in rural Ireland to support farm families and rural dwellers in the harsh economic climate of the 1980s.
