A BALLINADEE engineer took the top prize at the national invention convention for his invention to make it easier to prepare and maintain vegetable beds. John O’Neill of O’Neill Engineering designed and developed EcoLayr to tackle one of the biggest challenges facing small and medium-sized vegetable growers – the amount of labour involved in preparing and maintaining growing beds.
EcoLayr was awarded first place in the Inventions in Sustainability & Environmental class at the Tullamore Show before going on to be named the overall Supreme Champion. The low-horsepower machine can build new beds, top-dress existing beds and lay wood-chip pathways, and can be used with both no-dig and conventional growing systems. One of the most significant advantages of EcoLayr is the amount of labour it can save. A 100m bed can be built in minutes, with the application rate controlled from the tractor. Traditionally, the same task could take three or four people a full day using wheelbarrows. EcoLayr allows compost and other organic materials to be applied precisely, reducing waste.
