“While the traditional and conventional practices of Irish farmers are to be commanded, the technological advances Talamh has discovered, will, in my belief, revolutionise the industry and completely transform the way we use fertilisers,” said Talamh CEO Chris Kelly, an 18-year-old businessman from Clarina, Co Limerick.

Talamh recently won the Best Start-Up Business category of Limerick’s Best Young Entrepreneur competition.

“Growing up in rural Limerick, farms quite literally surrounded me. This prompted my research into common farming practices and techniques. The farming industry is just like any other; it seeks to maximise efficiency while saving on costs. So, when I was made aware of the €600m spent on fertiliser in Ireland last year alone, I realised that this was an area where farmers would be keen to save money,” said Kelly.

“Currently, farmers do not possess any information on how well their crops are growing. Consequently, it is normal practice to fertilise all crops equally to ensure optimal conditions for growth. This means that a phenomenal amount of valuable fertiliser is wasted. Talamh has developed an electronic system that solves this problem and can save farmers significant amounts in fertiliser bills (up to 20%)”.

This new Irish-invented system is based on near-infrared technology, which is able to measure how productively a plant is photosynthesising and, in turn, calculate its growth rate.

“While flying in a drone across vast areas of land, our device takes high-quality images through a near-infrared camera. Our service to farmers will then be to analyse these images to assess which of the crops are growing well and which need extra fertilising. Farmers will then be able to use targeted fertilisation practices when tending to their land, saving them both time and money while reducing damage to the local environment and wildlife,” Kelly explained.

As Talamh has just received its first round of investment, Chris Kelly will use the €10,000 winnings to purchase equipment.

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