UCDHort

UCD Horticulture graduate, Greg Whately is the the Fifa pitch manager for the Boston Stadium and his job is to ensure the surface in Boston meets all Fifa’s strict criteria, and have it looking spectacular come match day! ⚽️ irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/2…

@ucdagfood @noeleenbotanics Thanks so much 🙏 will miss you all .. will have lots of collaborations 🌟👏☘️🌳🪴🌱

Many congratulations to our (former 😢) colleague, Dr.Noeleen Smyth who has been appointed as the new Director of the National Botanic Gardens of Ireland & JFK Arboetum. An amazing role and opportunity, our loss is truly their gain and we wish Noeleen the very best and look forward to working with her in the future.

With Easter just around the corner, big brands such as Cadburys have faced extensive criticism and questions have been asked is it even chocolate? Simona Grasso Assistant Professor and Ad Astra Fellow in Food Science and Nutrition at UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science is researching sustainable alternatives, which include brewer’s spent grain, a byproduct of the beer brewing process. Grasso discusses that in other countries, the seed pods of plants such as carob and jackfruit are being explored as alternatives, again being blended with cocoa. It isn’t surprising that lab-grown chocolate is on the agenda. Grasso explains that “cultivated cocoa” involves growing cocoa cells in a bioreactor, before harvesting and processing them. “If it is blended in the right proportions, then it is exactly the same as the real thing.” Major chocolate producers are very keen to explore these alternatives, she adds. We have all more than likely heard of “shrinkflation” – where popular treats are getting lighter but remain at the same price. Add to that the concept of “skimpflation”. Grasso explains: “This is where we see producers removing the expensive chocolate components and substituting those for cheaper kinds of oils, such as palm oil, and other cheap ingredients.” An excellent article in the @Independent_ie by Danielle Barron also featuring Aisling Larkin and Clotilde Rambaud be found at: shorturl.at/dbgTO

@agriculture_ie Congrats 🙌🏻 ☘️🌳💚

Professor Áine Ní Dhubháin has been appointed as the new Chair of the next COFORD Council 2026-2028. Prof. Ní Dhubháin will play a key role in providing scientific & forestry advice to assist in the delivery & implementation of Ireland’s Forest Strategy. gov.ie/en/department-…

Happy World Wildlife Day 2026 @ucdhort Plants and People module held a lecture to celebrate with @NPWSNatureCons focus on Irish @CITES 🌍 under theme of Health Heritage and Livelihoods #wwd26 #healthheritage @CITES global virtual events wildlifeday.org @ucdagfood

Join us for a lecture to celebrate world wildlife day to celebrate the value plants bring to our health through medicinal and aromatic plant species ☘️🌸🌱🌳 @noeleenbotanics will give a lecture as part of the Plants and People Hort Module on Monday 2nd March @2pm

A great student visit to @FJSPlant in Kildare for Sportsturf module HORT 30400 machinery .. super to see the range of machinery and mowers. Thanks to Alan Huggard for hosting and demo we really learnt a lot !! @ucdagfood

Read more: growtrade.ie/small-talk-wit…

With CAO deadline approaching it’s not too late to sign up to Horticulture DN250 @ucdhort . You can see the couse outline and some student testimonials here and come chat anytime @ucdagfood # plants#future #sustainability

@striturf_greg @CrokePark @stuartwilson156 @strigroup_ Thanks so much the class really enjoyed it was fascinating 👏👍🌟@stuartwilson156 @striturf_greg

Great day @CrokePark with the @UCDHort sports turf students. Was great for the students to see everything that goes into maintaining an elite level playing surface. Massive thank you to @stuartwilson156 for accommodating and to Darren Jepson for sharing his knowledge @strigroup_

Lights, camera action our first field trip of 2026 - Hort 30400 Sportsturf module. To see most famous bit of Irish grass at Croke Park . Thanks to our guest lecturer Greg Whately STRI. A fantastic behind the scenes visit @noeleenbotanics . #gaa @ucdagfood

@UCDSBES @rtenews Great interview @UCDSBES

SBES Dr Grace Cott, Decline in number and quality of saltmarshes in Ireland on @rtenews rte.ie/news/ireland/2…

Some absolutely incredible projects at this years @stripe Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition. The projects discussed here ranged from soil science, ecology, methane emissions and cold plasma technology! The future is so bright with these amazing student’s.

The story of Ireland’s peatlands are being told through a new series of illustrated beer mats celebrating the biodiversity and history preserved by Irish’s bogs. Developed by Dr Shane McGuinness, Climate Fellow at the UCD Earth Institute, and colleagues from University College Cork, in collaboration with artist Eleanor Brayden, the beer mats feature bold artwork and bite-sized facts about Ireland’s unique peatland heritage. Ancient artefacts such as the Brockagh Bronze Age axe and the Ralaghan figurine sit alongside ecological treasures including the carnivorous sundew plant and Devil’s Matchstick lichen. Each mat also includes a QR code linking to further stories, images and research insights on Ireland’s peatlands. “While peatlands have been seen as wastelands or a source of fuel in the past, they’re becoming increasingly valued for climate action, biodiversity and water,” he said. "We’re delighted to be bringing this message to an unconventional venue – giving the public a snapshot of the wealth and wonder of Ireland’s peatlands during the festive season,” said Dr McGuinnes.

We're delighted to share a video celebrating the work that has taken place to help pollinators during the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan 2021-25 🐝 A huge thank you to everyone who has taken action for pollinators over the past 5 years.. let's keep going!💚 vimeo.com/1144534875?sha…

Fantastic to see the Rosemount Environmental Research Station Strategic Plan launched today.. an oasis in an urban campus… super ambitious targets for. teaching , research and outreach 👏👏🌟☘️🌳🪴🌴@ucdagfood @ucd_forestry @UCDSBES @ucdrosemount

UCD was delighted to host a meeting of the @RoyEntSoc this week, welcoming 95 entomologists & guests from 18+ institutions. 🐝🪲🐛The theme of the prestigious event was insects – one of the most numerous & biodiverse groups on the planet. #Biodiversity ➡️royensoc.co.uk/event/irish-en…

@PollinatorPlan Amazing work 🌟🥳👏

Thanks to the support of our partners, the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan 2021-25 has successfully been delivered with 92% of actions completed. There are many successes, but also many areas where we need to do more. Read the Final Review here ➡️ tinyurl.com/ys87djrv

@UCDHort Delighted to to part of the Irish 🇮🇪 Delegation @NPWSIreland to @CITES #cop20 in Uzbekistan - with discussions on plant conservation, sustainable trade and livelihoods in rare plants and animal species 🌳☘️🪴amazing experience ! @noeleenbotanics

Are you considering a Master’s at UCD? 🎓 As part of UCD Master’s Week (24–27 November), the UCD School of Agriculture & Food Science will host a series of webinars on Monday the 24th of November to help you: ℹ️ Discover the full range of our master’s courses ℹ️ Hear directly from academics and students ℹ️ Gain insights into careers and student life Register now for our upcoming Master’s Webinar Series on 24th November through the @GradUcd site at: ucd.ie/graduateadmiss… #UCDMastersWeek