The deadline for entries into the National Ploughing Championships Innovation Arena, sponsored by Enterprise Ireland and the Irish Farmers Journal’s Toplink.ie advertising website, has been extended by one week to Monday July 21.

There was a glitch in the Enterprise Ireland website last weekend, which prevented some applications from being made.

Innovators are invited to apply online at www.enterprise-ireland.com/innovationarena. The finalists will be catalogued in the Irish Farmers Journal in early August. They will have the opportunity to showcase their innovation during the National Ploughing Championships from 23-25 September in Ratheniska, Co Laois.

The top innovator will receive a prize of €1,500 from Toplink.ie towards the cost of attending the British LAMMA Show in January 2015. They will also receive valuable business development support mentoring from Enterprise Ireland and a free stand at the 2015 Ploughing Championships.

All finalists will receive Toplink.ie advertising vouchers to promote their innovation, bringing the overall value of the prize fund for the Innovation Awards to close to €50,000.