Research Shows Wheatgrass Can Improve Kentucky Soil Health

By Blake Jackson

At the University of Kentucky’s Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, senior agricultural ecosystem sciences student Riley McLaughlin is discovering how every handful of soil can make a difference.

McLaughlin is contributing to a research project on the perennial grain intermediate wheatgrass, aiming to help producers boost soil health.

Under the guidance of Hanna Poffenbarger, associate professor in the Department of Plant and Soil Science (PSS), McLaughlin is tracking soil health changes in intermediate wheatgrass plots and comparing them to results from conventional annual crop rotations. She is also testing a method to measure soil movement using handmade mesh bags.

“I stitched together small bags with two layers of mesh,” McLaughlin explained. “After we get two inches of rain, I pick them up, dry them and weigh the soil inside. The numbers tell us how much ground moved in each field.”

McLaughlin work is part of a broader three-year study exploring plant breeding, grain quality, and flavour, with her role focusing specifically on soil health.

Intermediate wheatgrass offers unique advantages. Unlike annual wheat, it remains rooted year after year, developing deep roots often twice as long as those of traditional crops which can anchor soil, enhance organic matter, and feed beneficial microbes.

These traits may reduce erosion, improve water infiltration during storms, and maintain moisture during droughts.

“Kentucky’s climate and hills are different,” said plant geneticist and assistant professor Lauren Brzozowski. “We need local numbers before farmers can decide if intermediate wheatgrass fits their ground.”

The team planted its first stands in autumn 2023, harvested grain in 2024, and mowed the plants for forage. Before spring rains in 2025, McLaughlin placed 36 mesh bags half in intermediate wheatgrass and half in soybeans and has already observed less loose soil in the perennial plots.

“To understand the true impact, we’ll need to collect data over multiple years,” Poffenbarger said. “Riley’s method is low-cost, lets us track soil movement without disturbing the crop, and it also gives a great hands-on lesson in field research.”

Through 2026, the team will continue measuring yields, grain quality, and soil health while working with Kentucky farmers on one-acre pilot plots. “Our best outcome is a new option that fits Kentucky fields,” Brzozowski said.

Photo Credit: university-of-kentucky