David Robinson Memorial Lectures
  Bord
Bia are proud sponsors of the David Robinson Memorial Lecture. This prestigious
annual event [launched in 2005] is designed to not only remember the
contributions of the late David Robinson, but provides an opportunity for young
horticultural students from colleges north and south to come together to learn
more about the important contributions horticulture makes to our health,
environment and economy.
The 2009 David Robinson Memorial Lecture
Sustainability, urban greenspace design and management - Dr James Hitchmough
The 2009 David Robinson Memorial Lecture was given by Dr James Hitchmough at
Kildalton College Piltdown, Co. Kilkenny. He discussed practical approaches to
sustainability (which he used the common definition of "not compromising the
needs of the future for the needs of the present") in urban greenspace. He
argued that this was not simply about "taking things away and being miserable"
but that there were practical actions that can be taken. His three main
strategies were to reduce areas of frequently mown grass, adopt new approaches
to the management of rainfall and to generate energy and other products from
greenspace.
 The 2008 David
Robinson Memorial Lecture
The heritage of Irish landscapes, biodiversity and modern landscape design -
Professor Valerie Hall
The fourth of the David Robinson Memorial Lectures was given by Professor
Valerie Hall on "The heritage of Irish landscapes, biodiversity and modern
landscape design". Due to the numbers of people wishing to hear the lecture, it
was given twice to packed halls at the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin,
Dublin 9.
Professor Hall gave her views on what are the native species of trees in
Ireland and how difficult that is to ascertain. The lecture came about from
questions she often received from people wanting to plant native trees in
Ireland. In the talk she explained that our indigenous trees (not too dissimilar
from our people) originally came from many sources and were often influenced by
geographical, meteorological and sociological factors.
The 2007 David Robinson Memorial Lecture
Greening the Urban Jungle, Plants, Soils, Buildings and Climate Change -
Dusty Gedge
The third of the
David Robinson Memorial Lectures was given by Dusty Gedge of Livingroofs on the
subject of "Greening the Urban Jungle, Plants, Soils, Buildings and Climate
Change". The lecture took place at the Astra Hall University College Dublin. The
event was organised by Bord Bia and the UCD School of Biology and Environmental
Science.
The 2006 David Robinson Memorial Lecture
Horticulture on Mars! - Dr Ray Wheeler
 Plant physiologist, Dr
Wheeler delivered the second annual Bord Bia-sponsored David Robinson Memorial
Lecture at the Kildalton Agricultural and Horticultural College, Piltown, Co
Kilkenny. Ray Wheeler is a senior scientist at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in
Florida, and currently serves as the lead for plant and crop research for NASA's
Advanced Life Support Program.
In the lecture, given to about 80 students at Kildalton College, Dr Wheeler
talked about NASA’s research on the possibility of producing fresh vegetables
and small fruits in space to supplement space travellers’ diets.
He talked about Nasa's research into the possibility of producing fresh
vegetables and small fruits in space to supplement space travellers' diets. He
also discussed studies into how to grow wheat, potatoes, carrots and other
vegetables once space travellers set up bases on the moon and Mars. "When humans
venture beyond earth orbit and on to Mars, horticulture and plants will surely
follow," he believes. "As mission durations increase, so would the role of
horticulture, where plants would provide an increasing proportion of food,
oxygen, carbon dioxide removal, and water purification. In all cases, innovative
horticultural technologies and approaches will be required."
Much research has already been done using test systems on earth, but plants
including mustard cress have also been grown successfully in space in the
Russian Mir space station, he told The Irish Times. [2]
"The cosmonauts thought it was very good. They really enjoyed fresh flavours
added to their stored foods," Dr Wheeler said.
The 2005 David Robinson Memorial Lecture
Top 10 plants that have influenced humankind - Sue
Minter
 In the first of the David
Robinson Memorial Lectures, the director of horticulture at the Eden Project in
Cornwall, Sue Minter, revealed her 'top 10' plants that have changed humanity.
Speaking at the Salesian College of Horticulture in
Drumree, Co Meath, Ms Minter said that both positive and negative impacts
influenced her choice of the 10 plants of most importance to mankind. Her top
plant was the opium poppy, Papaver somniferum, chosen because it has had
the most positive and negative impact on humanity. She said that although opium
was vital as pharmaceutical morphine in the treatment of cancer, it also brought
'untold human misery through heroin addiction' .
Other plants in Ms Minter's top ten list include tobacco and the hemp plant
Cannabis sativa, along with rice, cotton, rubber and tea, the yam - the original
source of the contraceptive pill - and the Cinchona tree, which provides the
anti-malarial drug, quinine. [1]
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This page was last updated on
03-Jul-2010 .
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