Two Teagasc researchers were among the award winners at the recent British Society of Animal Science (BSAS) conference in Galway.

Sarah Woodmartin won the industry prize for her work on the effect of sward type on growth performance, enteric methane output and the rumen microbiome in lambs during the post-weaning period.

The BSAS judging panel noted that her research offers practical insights into sustainable livestock production.

Another Teagasc researcher was a joint winner of the innovation prize.

Kevin Linehan of Teagasc won for his work with bacteriocin-producing lactic acid bacteria which can be used as silage inoculants to reduce methane emissions in dairy cattle, a further move towards methane-reducing feeding strategies.

Linehan shared the innovation award with Riccardo Bica of ZELP, for the development of a field-deployable device for continuous methane and carbon dioxide emission measurement in cattle, offering a scalable alternative to traditional respiration chambers.

Other prize winners at the conference included:

President’s prize – Siobhán O’Callaghan, Queen’s University Belfast

O’Callaghan received the President’s Prize for her work on feeding behaviour in Holstein cattle fed different milk allowances as calves.

Best poster – Rischi Robinson Male Here, Teagasc

The Best Poster Award was presented to Robinson Male Here of Teagasc for his work on the effect of inorganic nitrogen fertiliser application rates pre-grazing on rumen and blood variables of post-weaned dairy-beef calves.

Developing talent award – Fiona Louise Guinan, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Guinan received the Developing Talent Award for her forward-looking study on dairy cow resilience, using data-driven detection and quantification of perturbations through daily milk weights.

The BSAS awards recognise exceptional contributions to animal science, research, and industry advancement.

The prestigious Sir John Hammond Award, BSAS’s highest honour, was awarded to Craig Lewis in recognition of his outstanding contributions to animal science, pioneering research, and lasting impact on industry practice.