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Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs An Roinn Talmhaíochta, Comhshaoil agus Gnóthaí Tuaithe Depairtment o' Fairmin, Environment an' Kintra Matthers

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  • Co Down postgraduate students win DAERA awards

    Topics:
    • Education and Research

    Date published: 18 September 2019

    The annual Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) Postgraduate Symposium was held recently in the Stormont hotel in Belfast. Over 120 delegates attended the event to hear postgraduate students deliver presentations and poster displays of the findings from their DAERA funded postgraduate research programmes.

    Prizewinners at the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) Postgraduate Symposium (left to right: Katie Lawther, Paul Cottney, Sophie Redpath and Naomi Rutherford).

    Awards were presented to recognise the quality of the presentations and posters displayed by the students and it was a clean sweep for four county Down students.

    Katie Lawther from Newtownards received the award for the best first year poster. Katie is researching the influences of agricultural practices on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). In this research 66 dairy farms have been surveyed.

    Hillsborough research student, Paul Cottney received an award for the best second year poster. Paul is investigating how to maximise the benefits of cover crops through optimising the management of organic manures, rotations and nitrogen fertilisers.

    Sophie Redpath from Moira received the award for the best second year presentation. Sophie is investigating the epidemiology of bovine TB and potential routes of infection.

    Hillsborough research student, Naomi Rutherford received an award for the best third year presentation. Naomi is exploring the development of systems to improve the health and performance of dairy origin beef young stock.

    Notes to editors:

    1. The department may take photographs and videos at announcements and events to publicise its work. Photographs, interviews, videos or other recordings may be issued to media organisations for publicity purposes or used in promotional material, including in publications, newspapers, magazines, other print media, on television, radio and electronic media (including social media and the internet). Photographs and videos will also be stored on the department’s internal records management system. The department will keep the photographs and recordings for no longer than is necessary for the purposes for which they have been obtained. The department’s Privacy Policy is available on our website.
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    3. All media enquiries to DAERA Press Office or tel: 028 9052 4619.

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