Apple growers and others from the horticulture sector visited the Experimental Orchard at Teagasc, Oak Park, Carlow, recently. Teagasc researchers provided an Apple Research Update on the latest developments in Irish apple production. Dr Alberto Ramos Luz, Teagasc researcher said; “We were delighted to welcome around 50 participants, a record attendance across all the events we’ve organised so far, including growers, advisors, researchers, students, and stakeholders interested in apple production.”
The event showcased the latest research and practical developments in Irish apple production. It featured short, industry-focused presentations followed by an orchard walk to explore ongoing trials and discuss results directly in the field.
As highlighted by Alberto Ramos Luz, these are still preliminary results, but they are already pointing towards important directions for the future of apple production in Ireland. Ahmad Hassan Chaudhry, Teagasc Walsh Scholar, demonstrated how contrasting climatic conditions between 2024 (cooler and wetter) and 2025 (warmer and drier) influenced the phenological development of the different cultivars under study. Despite these variations, most cultivars showed satisfactory performance, with excellent fruit quality on both seasons, as detailed by Jean do Prado, Teagasc Walsh Scholar.
Alberto Ramos Luz also emphasised that different training systems are being evaluated, and that the experimental orchard is playing a key role in identifying the details needed to achieve balanced orchards with high productivity, consistent performance, and excellent fruit quality. He expressed confidence that, in the coming years, more refined and efficient recommendations will be developed based on these results.
The indoor session covered key topics including varietal performance, fruit quality, rootstocks, disease management, consumer preferences particularly among Gen Z, and the role of flowering physiology in orchard management. A dedicated session on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) highlighted current adoption levels in Irish orchards, along with practical challenges and opportunities.
In the beautiful sunny weather, participants also had the opportunity to visit the orchard and see the trees entering their 4th leaf, with flowering just beginning across different varieties, training systems, and rootstocks. Growers were able to directly observe the performance of these combinations and engage with researchers to get practical answers and insights around orchard management.
Ends.