Céad Mile Fáilte go T-Stór (Welcome to T- Stór)

Update:  The repository was upgraded in July 2025 to a new DSpace version.

T-Stór is Teagasc’s Open Access Repository, maintained by the Teagasc Library Service. Stór is the Gaelic word for Repository or Store or Warehouse, and T-Stór is an online “store” of Teagasc Research outputs and related documents. T-Stór collects preserves and makes freely available scholarly communication, including peer-reviewed articles, working papers and conference papers created by Teagasc researchers. Where material has already been published it is made available subject to the open-access policies of the original publishers. Click here to read more about Teagasc. 

Featured Items

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A comparison of grassland vegetation from three agri-environment conservation measures

O hUallachain, Daire; Finn, John; Keogh, Blathnaid; Fritch, R.; Sheridan, Helen; Teagasc Walsh Fellowship Programme

Semi-natural grassland habitats have declined significantly throughout Europe. To halt the decline, grassland conservation measures have been included in most European agri-environment schemes. This is the first study to compare the botanical composition of grassland habitats managed under the Irish Agri-Environment Options Scheme (AEOS). Sixty fields on drystock pastoral farms in receipt of agri-environment payments for grassland conservation were surveyed, with 20 fields being enrolled in each of the following AEOS options: Traditional Hay Meadow (THM), Species-Rich Grassland (SRG) and Natura 2000 species-rich grassland (Natura). The vegetation quality of sites enrolled in the Natura measure was higher than the quality of those enrolled in the THM and SRG measures. Natura sites had the greatest species richness, with a mean >40 species per site, which included approximately 17 species indicative of high botanical quality. Traditional Hay Meadows sites had the lowest species richness (mean: 29 species per site) and were dominated by species associated with improved grassland. Some THM sites had good levels of botanical richness and were similar in composition to Natura sites, with some Natura sites having lower vegetation quality, more similar to that of THM sites. Species-Rich Grassland had botanical richness that was intermediate between THM and Natura sites. A thorough assessment of the effectiveness of these measures was confounded by a lack of quantitative objectives for the target community composition to be attained. We discuss limitations and potential opportunities regarding the design, targeting, implementation and cost-effectiveness of these agri-environment measures.

2016-12

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Learning from Agricultural Land Market Regulation Policies in EU Member States

Loughrey, Jason; Geoghegan, Cathal; Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; 2019R414; 2019R414

This article draws from economic theory and the recent European Commission report on agricultural land market regulation to assess the suitability of selected regulatory policies for agricultural land markets in Ireland. Insights from policy in other EU Member States indicates that some flexibility is always required to permit the existence of temporary land leasing contracts. Farmland rental prices in Ireland have mainly followed the underlying returns to agriculture and been much less influenced by speculative bubbles relative to farmland sales markets. The land rental data for 2019 do not point to the need for maximum price regulation. The availability of reliable statistics is not a sufficient condition to prevent bubbles from emerging, but farmland markets need to be closely monitored with up-to-date official statistics informing potential market participants and public policy.

2024-06-18

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The MAP model: approaching behaviour change conversations on farm

Gribben, Laura; Burrell, Alison; Walsh Scholarship

With the increasing focus on preventative medicine, herd health management and sustainability, farmers are continually being challenged to make changes to their farm routine and farm behaviours (Bord Bia, 2022; Svensson et al., 2022). In this context, the role of the veterinary practitioner becomes ever more critical as an advocate for change. However, to fulfil the potential of this role, it has been recognised that veterinary practitioners could benefit from training in evidence-based communication strategies, specifically designed to support behaviour change (Bard et al. 2019). The behavioural sciences such as health psychology have extensively studied the area of behaviour change, exploring its theoretical underpinnings and developing strategies which can be used to encourage it. This has led to a growing interest in adapting behavioural science-based behaviour change communication strategies to the field of veterinary medicine (Svensson et al. 2020a; 2020b; Bard 2018). One such behaviour change communication strategy which may be applicable is the MAP (Motivation, Action and Prompts) of Behaviour Change model (NHS Education for Scotland (NES), 2022).

2023-02

Recent Submissions

  • ItemOpen Access
    Comparing Extraction Methods for Biomarker Steroid Characterisation from Soil and Slurry
    (Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2020-10-9) Manley, Amber; Collins, Adrian L.; Joynes, Adrian; Mellander, Per-Erik; Jordan, Phil; Walsh Fellowship (Ref: 2016115) provided by Teagasc to Ulster University, the Teagasc Agricultural Catchments Programme (funded by the Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine), and Rothamsted Research for part funding this research. Rothamsted Research receives strategic funding from UKRI-BBSRC (UK Research and Innovation-Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council) and the contribution to this work by ALC was supported by the Soil to Nutrition strategic programme under project 3; BBS/E/C/000I0330
    Clean water is a precious resource, and policies/programmes are implemented worldwide to protect and/or improve water quality. Faecal pollution can be a key contributor to water quality decline causing eutrophication through nutrient enrichment and pathogenic contamination. The robust sourcing of faecal pollutants is important to be able to target the appropriate sector and to engage managers. Biomarker technology has the potential for source confirmation, by using, for example the biomarker suite of steroids. Steroids have been used in the differentiation of human and animal faeces; however, there is no unequivocal extraction technique. Some of the methods used include (i) Soxhlet extraction, (ii) Bligh and Dyer (BD) extraction, and (iii) accelerated solvent extraction (ASE). The less costly and time intensive technique of ASE is particularly attractive, but a current research gap concerns further comparisons regarding ASE lipid extraction from soils/slurries compared with the more traditional Soxhlet and BD extractions. Accordingly, a randomised complete block experiment was implemented to assess differences between the three extraction methods, differences between the different sample types, and the interactions between these two factors. Following GC-MS, it was found that there was no significant difference between the results of the steroid extraction methods, regardless of the type of sample used, for the quantity of each steroid extracted. It was concluded that ASE could be used confidently instead of the more established steroid extraction methods, thereby delivering time and cost savings
  • ItemOpen Access
    Potential for enriching next-generation health-promoting gut bacteria through prebiotics and other dietary components
    (Informa UK Limited, 2019-5-22) Lordan, Cathy; Thapa, Dinesh; Ross, R. Paul; Cotter, Paul D.; CL was funded by the Teagasc Walsh Fellowship Scheme and CL was funded by the Teagasc Walsh Fellowship Scheme. DT was funded by a DAFM grant. PDC was funded in the form of a center grant; 2017047, 15/F/635, SFI/12/RC/2273
    The human intestinal commensal microbiota and associated metabolic products have long been regarded as contributors to host health. As the identity and activities of the various members of this community have become clearer, newly identified health-associated bacteria, such as Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Akkermansia muciniphila, Ruminococcus bromii and Roseburia species, have emerged. Notably, the abundance of many of these bacteria is inversely correlated to several disease states. While technological and regulatory hurdles may limit the use of strains from these taxa as probiotics, it should be possible to utilize prebiotics and other dietary components to selectively enhance their growth in situ. Dietary components of potential relevance include well-established prebiotics, such as galacto-oligosaccharides, fructo-oligosaccharides and inulin, while other putative prebiotics, such as other oligosaccharides, polyphenols, resistant starch, algae and seaweed as well as host gut metabolites such as lactate and acetate, may also be applied with the aim of selectively and/or differentially affecting the beneficial bacterial community within the gastrointestinal environment. The present review provides an overview of the dietary components that could be applied in this manner.
  • PublicationOpen Access
    Application of Proteomic Technologies to Assess the Quality of Raw Pork and Pork Products: An Overview from Farm-To-Fork
    (MDPI AG, 2020-11-11) López-Pedrouso, María; Lorenzo, José; Gagaoua, Mohammed; Franco, Daniel; GAIN (Axencia Galega de Innovación, Xunta de Galicia, Spain); 713654
    The quality assurance of pork meat and products includes the study of factors prior to slaughter such as handling practices, diet and castration, and others during the post-mortem period such as aging, storage, and cooking. The development over the last two decades of high-throughput techniques such as proteomics offer great opportunities to examine the molecular mechanisms and study a priori the proteins in the living pigs and main post-mortem changes and post-translational modifications during the conversion of the muscle into the meat. When the most traditional crossbreeding and rearing strategies to improve pork quality were assessed, the main findings indicate that metabolic pathways early post-mortem were affected. Among the factors, it is well documented that pre-slaughter stress provokes substantial changes in the pork proteome that led to defective meat, and consequently, novel protein biomarkers should be identified and validated. Additionally, modifications in pork proteins had a strong effect on the sensory attributes due to the impact of processing, either physical or chemical. Maillard compounds and protein oxidation should be monitored in order to control proteolysis and volatile compounds. Beyond this, the search of bioactive peptides is becoming a paramount goal of the food and nutraceutical industry. In this regard, peptidomics is a major tool to identify and quantify these peptides with beneficial effects for human health.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Screening and application of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts with L‐lactic acid‐producing and antioxidant capacity in traditional fermented rice acid
    (Wiley, 2020-9-24) Liu, Na; Miao, Song; Qin, Likang; This work was financially supported by Technology platform and talent team plan of Guizhou. China, Graduate Research Fund Project of Guizhou , Industry-University-Research Cooperation Project of Guizhou , and China Scholarship Council .; ([2018]5251), (YJSCXJH[2019]028), (701/700465172217), (201906670006)
    In the study, Lactobacillus paracasei H4-11, Lactobacillus fermentum D1-1, Lactobacillus casei H1-8, Lactobacillus reuteri H2-12, and Kluyveromyces marxianus L1-1 were screened from traditional fermented rice acid based on several indicators: L-lactic acid production capacity (13.46 ~ 19.69 g/kg), antioxidant capacity (DPPH clearance ability of 35.36 ~ 56.89%), and savory flavor indicators. Glutinous rice, quinoa, barley rice, and brown rice were selected to carry out rice acid fermentation. Different viable lactic acid bacteria and yeasts were screened, respectively, in the saccharification, acidification, alcoholization, and late acidification stages. Rice acid fermented with L. paracasei H4-11 and K. marxianus L1-1 in glutinous rice showed the high L-lactic acid content (23.09 g/kg). The DPPH free radical scavenging ability in rice acid fermented with L. fermentum D1-1 and L. paracasei H4-11, respectively, reached 34.27% and 33.05% in 96 hr. Although quinoa rice acid had the highest L-lactic acid content (33.74 g/kg) and the DPPH free radical scavenging ability (60.10%), it had the poor taste due to the high astringency intensity and bitter intensity. Rice acid fermented with both L. paracasei H4-11 and K. marxianus L1-1 in glutinous rice showed the highest savory flavor and had the lowest astringency and bitter. L. paracasei H4-11 and K. marxianus L1-1 were the potential strains for the fermentation of rice acid. These results promote the industrial development of Chinese rice acid.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Advances in Azorella glabra Wedd. Extract Research: In Vitro Antioxidant Activity, Antiproliferative Effects on Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells and Bioactive Compound Characterization
    (MDPI AG, 2020-10-22) Lamorte, Daniela; Faraone, Immacolata; Laurenzana, Ilaria; Trino, Stefania; Russo, Daniela; Rai, Dilip K.; Armentano, Maria Francesca; Musto, Pellegrino; Sgambato, Alessandro; De Luca, Luciana; Milella, Luigi; Caivano, Antonella; This research was funded by Italian Minister of Health–Ricerca corrente 2019; C31G18000210002.
    Azorella glabra Wedd. (AG) is traditionally used to treat gonorrhea or kidney’s problems. The antioxidant, antidiabetic, anticholinesterase and in vitro antitumor activities of AG extracts were recently reported. The aim of this work was to investigate anti-leukemic properties of AG chloroform fraction (AG CHCl3) and of its ten sub-fractions (I-X) and to identify their possible bioactive compounds. We determined their in vitro antioxidant activity using 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), nitric oxide (NO) and superoxide anion (SO) assays, and their phytochemical profile by spectrophotometric and LC-MS/MS techniques. I-X action on two acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell lines viability, apoptosis and cell cycle were evaluated by MTS, western blotting and cytofluorimetric assays. Different polyphenol, flavonoid and terpenoid amount, and antioxidant activity were found among all samples. Most of I-X induced a dose/time dependent reduction of cell viability higher than parent extract. IV and VI sub-fractions showed highest cytotoxic activity and, of note, a negligible reduction of healthy cell viability. They activated intrinsic apoptotic pathway, induced a G0/G1 block in leukemic cells and, interestingly, led to apoptosis in patient AML cells. These activities could be due to mulinic acid or azorellane terpenoids and their derivatives, tentatively identified in both IV and VI. In conclusion, our data suggest AG plant as a source of potential anti-AML agents.
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