An image titled "The perfect apple" has been announced as the overall winner of this year's Teagasc’s Vision of Research and Innovation photo competition.

The competition, which has been running since 2015, is open to all Teagasc staff and students who are invited to submit images related to their area of work.

There were 76 entries in this year's competition, with the top 12 selected for an exhibition held in Teagasc head office at Oak Park House, Co. Carlow on Thursday night (November 9).

Attendees at the event were also treated to a guided tour of the historical building and former home of MP Henry Bruen.

The overall winning image was taken by Dr. Alberto Ramos Luz, a Teagasc researcher at Oak Park, Carlow.

It shows an apple that was grown at a newly established research orchard in Oak Park.

The project aims to identify varieties of apple which are suitable for the Irish climate, while meeting consumer and market needs.

Dr. Ramon Luz's work is also focused on developing the best forms of orchard management to secure maximum yield efficiency and fruit quality.

The apple shown in the winning photograph showcases one of the 48 apple varieties that are being assessed at the site.

Speaking at last night's event, Teagasc director Prof. Frank O’Mara, said: “This event reflects Teagasc’s core mission of excellent research combined with communication of the outcomes of that research to stakeholders and the public.

"It is great to see such a strong focus on sustainability and biodiversity in the winning images as these are important priorities for us, as outlined in our Climate Action Strategy.”

The "Vision of Research" exhibition at Teagasc head office is part of Science Week at Teagasc, which runs from November 12-19, 2023.

The 12 winning images that are being featured in the exhibition are:

“The perfect apple” by Alberto Ramos Luz;
“Symbiotic relationship between alder root nodules and nitrogen-fixing bacteria” by Emma Fuller;
“The mini bio-reactors (50-200 ml) allow for multiple experiments in parallel - 3” by Antonio Lourenco;
“Seasons change” by Rebecca Marsh;
“Stonescapes” - Layers of tradition and knowledge, protecting our heritage and environment Croí cloiche, lámh agus talamh” by Anne Kinsella;
“The trees are listening” by Jo Ruane;
“Irish super oats” by André Brodkorb;
“Rainbow Aphid Wings” by Maximilian Schughart;
“Chirping Fieldwork Assistant” by Maximilian Schughart;
“Beyond nitrites there’s the magic in the mix: sodium nitrite (E250) -free rashers on the horizon” by Jan Roland Molina and Cristina Botinestean;
“Monaghan Drumlins” by Tom O’Connell;
“Autumn's Blanket - Forest Floor in Fall” by Dheeraj Rathore.

All of the winning images from the photo competition will be included in the annual Teagasc calendar which will be delivered to stakeholders before Christmas.