Director of Teagasc, Professor Frank O’Mara presenting the winners of the ‘Teagasc Special Award’ to recipients Méabh Dorgan, Katie Fitzgerald and Muireann Murphy of St Mary’s Secondary School, Mallow at the latest Stripe Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition.
Students from St Mary’s Secondary School, Mallow, Co. Cork have been recognised for his or her excellent scientific achievement at the Stripe Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition 2026, successful the prestigious Teagasc Special Award for his or her revolutionary venture investigating soil natural matter in North Cork.
Second yr college students Méabh Dorgan, Katie Fitzgerald and Muireann Murphy impressed judges with their venture ‘An Investigation into Soil Organic Matter in North Cork Using UAV RGB Imagery: Supporting the ‘4 per 1000’ Initiative and Climate Change Mitigation’. The Teagasc Special Award is offered yearly to the venture that greatest demonstrates an intensive understanding of the science of agricultural or meals manufacturing, or the software of science to enhance applied sciences in these sectors.
The Teagasc Special Award was offered by Professor Frank O’Mara, Director of Teagasc, who invited the college students to go to a Teagasc analysis centre to study extra about work in this space.
“These students represent the next generation of scientific talent in Ireland,” stated Professor O’Mara. “Their ability to apply science and technology to an issue as important as soil health and climate change is impressive, and we look forward to seeing where their curiosity and ambition take them next.”
Their venture was a powerful instance of how younger individuals might be impressed by science in their native surroundings. Using low-price unmanned aerial autos (UAVs), the college students explored how purple, inexperienced and blue (RGB) imagery could possibly be used to estimate soil natural matter content material, with potential advantages for local weather change mitigation and extra price-efficient soil administration.
The Stripe Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition, one in every of Europe’s largest STEM occasions, passed off from January 7-10 and attracts a median of 40,000 college students, lecturers and oldsters annually, offering a serious platform for younger scientists to showcase their work.
The crew developed and offered their venture beneath the steerage of their maths trainer, Mr Rory Coote. Their entry stood out for its experimental design, clear methodology and potential actual-world software. This marks the second event on which a bunch mentored by Mr Coote has received the Teagasc Special Award.
Speaking to Eimear Ferguson, Science Communication and Engagement Officer at Teagasc, who coordinated the Teagasc presence at the occasion, the college students defined how they had been impressed by an article they learn in their native newspaper.
“We decided to study the organic matter content of soil using low-cost unmanned aerial vehicles to collect red, green and blue images of selected soil sites in County Cork,” stated Méabh Dorgan.
“We wanted to create an easy and efficient way for farmers to measure the organic matter content of different soils in Ireland,” added Katie Fitzgerald.
“Our study clearly shows the potential of UAV-derived RGB imaging and how targeted soil management could help farmers reduce costs,” stated Muireann Murphy.
Looking forward, the college students hope to develop an app that will enable farmers to use a drone linked to their telephone to establish the place fertiliser is required most effectively.