Dr. Sara Vero, an assistant lecturer at the South East Technological University (SETU), has been appointed as a new funded investigator at the VistaMilk SFI Research Centre in Co. Cork.
The €40 million research facility, based at Teagasc Moorepark, is jointly funded by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
The centre works on developing and deploying new knowledge, technologies and support tools to maximise the efficiency and effectiveness of the entire dairy production chain.
VistaMilk is focused on four inter-dependent thematic areas: soil; pasture; cow; and food.
The staff at the facility have expertise across biological sciences, sensor-systems, communications and networking, data analytics, and food processing.
Research
Dr. Sara Vero, who is an assistant lecturer in agricultural science at SETU in Waterford, has an extensive background in agriculture and soil sciences.
She holds a degree in agricultural science, a master’s degree from University College Dublin (UCD), and a PhD in civil engineering on the topic of soil science and hydrology from the National University of Ireland, Galway.
Dr. Vero also conducted a post-doctorate at Kansas State University in the US looking at prairie hydrology, and has worked with the Teagasc Agricultural Catchments Program and the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute.
In her new role at VistaMilk, she will further her research on soil, particularly nutrient management, and timing of operations including slurry spreading and grazing.
In collaboration with partners in the Walton Institute and Met Éireann, Dr. Vero is evaluating patterns of soil moisture and how they influence suitable dates for slurry application across Ireland.
It is hoped that the research will provide more precise estimates of ground conditions, which can inform any future changes to regulations around slurry application.
Dr Vero is currently investigating how soil structure influences phosphorus availability with PhD student Patricia Roche.
They are running grass trials across different soil indices and structures, along with runoff experiments, and soil structural analyses in the laboratory.
VistaMilk
Speaking about her new role at VistaMilk, Dr. Sara Vero said: “This is a huge opportunity for me to further my work on key soil-related challenges faced by the dairy sector.
“By working with researchers from the Walton Institute, my research on soil-moisture is being upscaled from field to national-scale, which means we can contribute to better informed policy and boots-on-the-ground decision-making.
“I’m also really excited to develop projects with the grassland researchers located in the other VistaMilk host institutes, so that we can investigate the continuum of impacts from what we do to the soil, through its effects on the sward, to the final Irish dairy food product,” she added.
Dr. Vero believes we need to “work smarter, not harder” when it comes to soil and resource management.
“In Ireland, we have substantial natural advantages when it comes to pasture-based production. By carefully identifying needs and opportunities at farm-scale we can help to make the most of these attributes,” she said.
Donagh Berry, director of VistaMilk, who nominated Dr. Vero as a funded investigator added: “Soil is a hugely important asset for Irish agriculture. No one is more aware of this than farmers themselves who are custodians of our natural habitats.
“Sara’s exciting and innovative research will add to the armory of tools at the disposal of Irish farmers for sustaining their commitment to producing environmentally benign, safe and nutritious dairy products,” he said.