Boosting Drought Tolerance in Wheat and Rice: University of Kansas Agricultural Research on Soil Fungi

A new $1.9 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) will fund University of Kansas research into whether microscopic soil fungi can build drought tolerance in two of the world’s most important staple crops: wheat and rice. Announced on September 18, 2026, the four-year project brings together researchers at the University of Kansas, Kansas State University, Arkansas State University, and the University of Nebraska, with Arkansas State University serving as lead institution on a total award of nearly $6 million.

For anyone following agricultural research in the USA—whether you are a farmer, a student considering a career in ecology, or a professional in the food and agriculture sector—this project offers a clear example of how soil biology, crop science, and social science are converging to address one of farming’s most persistent problems: producing more food with less water.

Want to track this research as it develops? The Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research at the University of Kansas publishes regular updates on its ecological and agricultural research programs, making it a valuable resource for anyone following drought tolerance studies.

Why Drought Tolerance Matters for the Future of Farming

The case for investing in drought tolerance research is straightforward. The human population is projected to keep growing for the next 50 to 60 years, while the amount of arable land available for cultivation continues to shrink. At the same time, water resources in many agricultural regions face increasing pressure from drought, competing urban demands, and declining aquifers.

Building drought tolerance into major crops is widely viewed as one of the most practical strategies for increasing food production under these constraints. Crops that can withstand dry periods reduce the need for irrigation, which in turn helps protect water supplies for communities and ecosystems. In a state like Kansas—where the Ogallala Aquifer that underpins much of the western portion of the state is steadily declining—this is not an abstract concern. It shapes planting decisions, land values, and rural livelihoods today.

The stakes are easy to quantify. Kansas produces 20% of all U.S. wheat, averaging more than 330 million bushels annually. Rice is not grown in Kansas, but roughly 45% of U.S.-produced rice—about 9 billion pounds—comes from Arkansas. Improving drought resilience in these two crops has national and global implications for food security.

Inside the University of Kansas Soil Fungi Project

The newly funded project focuses on a specific group of microscopic organisms: arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. These soil fungi form symbiotic relationships with the roots of most crop plants, and a growing body of evidence suggests they can significantly influence how well crops cope with water stress.

“Soil microbes can have a big influence on crop resilience to drought, and this project will test benefits of an important group of soil fungi that associate with plant roots,” said Jim Bever, the lead researcher at KU. Bever is Foundation Distinguished Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and a senior scientist at the Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research.

The KU team also includes Peggy Schultz, researcher; Liz Koziol, assistant research professor; and Terra Lubin, researcher—all based at the Kansas Biological Survey. Their role is central: the University of Kansas will test different species of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for their potential to confer drought tolerance to wheat and rice, and KU will supply all of the fungal material used across the four-institution collaboration.

What Are Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi?

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi live in the soil and penetrate the roots of host plants, forming structures that exchange resources with the plant. In practical terms, the fungi act as an extension of the plant’s root system. Their microscopic filaments reach into soil pores that roots cannot access, helping the plant draw in water and nutrients such as phosphorus. In return, the plant supplies the fungi with carbon from photosynthesis.

For growers, the appeal of this approach is that it works with existing biology rather than requiring entirely new crop varieties. If particular fungal species reliably improve a plant’s ability to endure dry spells, farmers could eventually manage soils to encourage those beneficial organisms—a practice rooted in soil health principles that many producers are already exploring.

INVAM: The World’s Largest Collection of Soil Fungi

A key reason the University of Kansas is positioned to lead this work is INVAM, the International Collection of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi, maintained at KU. INVAM is the largest collection of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the world and serves as an international resource for researchers. Many living fungal cultures from this collection—grown on Sudangrass in KU’s West District Greenhouse—will be used in the new drought tolerance experiments.

Researchers and educators interested in working with these cultures can learn more about INVAM’s living collection and its availability for scientific study through the University of Kansas.

Testing Perennial Grains: Wheat Varieties and Kernza

The project goes beyond conventional annual crops. Alongside standard wheat varieties and rice, the KU researchers will test the drought response of Kernza, the world’s first commercially available perennial grain. Kernza was developed from intermediate wheatgrass at The Land Institute in Salina, Kansas, an organization with which Kansas Biological Survey researchers already collaborate.

Unlike annual wheat, which must be replanted each year, Kernza lives for multiple seasons. Its root systems can extend 10 feet deep, anchoring soil and reducing erosion while accessing moisture far below the surface. Those deep roots make perennial grains a natural fit for a drought tolerance study—and they illustrate a broader point about agricultural research in the USA: solutions are being pursued at multiple levels at once, from microscopic fungi to entire cropping systems.

By comparing how different wheat varieties and Kernza respond to drought with and without specific fungal partners, the research team aims to identify combinations that deliver measurable resilience benefits.

Listening to Farmers: The Social Science Component

One of the more distinctive features of this project is that it does not stop at the greenhouse door. The grant also funds a social science team led by Paul Stock, KU associate professor of sociology and environmental studies, who will conduct individual interviews and group conversations with farmers and others involved in wheat and rice production across Kansas, Nebraska, and Arkansas.

The goal is to understand the real-world conditions under which agricultural innovations succeed or fail. “Farmers don’t make decisions in a vacuum,” Stock explained. “When considering the potential impacts of perennial grains for our future food systems, we need to understand the relationships and contexts that farmers operate in.”

Stock’s team wants to learn—beyond genetics and technical solutions—what needs to change in agricultural systems more broadly, including factors connected to banking systems, adaptation to regional ecology, and the continued evolution of farm technology. This kind of insight matters for anyone who works in agricultural policy, lending, extension services, or agribusiness, because it acknowledges that a technique proven in a greenhouse still has to fit within the economic and social realities of working farms.

If you are involved in wheat or rice production in Kansas, Nebraska, or Arkansas, following or participating in studies like this one is a direct way to make sure farmer perspectives shape future research priorities.

Training the Next Generation of Agricultural Researchers

Beyond its scientific objectives, the grant supports STEM training and workforce development for scientists and socio-economists, along with educational outreach to local high schools, local citizens, and industry partners. For students weighing careers in ecology, soil science, crop science, or rural sociology, projects like this one demonstrate the range of expertise the agricultural sector now demands.

The KU departments involved—sociology, environmental studies, and ecology & evolutionary biology—span the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, underscoring how modern drought tolerance research blends laboratory science with fieldwork and human-centered inquiry. The Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research, a KU designated research center, houses a diverse group of ecological research and remote sensing/GIS programs and manages the 3,200-acre KU Field Station, a resource for study across the sciences, arts, humanities, and professional schools.

A Broader Investment in Agricultural Research Across the USA

The KU project is one of eight across the United States awarded funding in fiscal year 2026 through NSF’s Focused EPSCoR Collaborations, a program designed to build research capacity in regions that have historically received less federal research investment. Awards under this initiative total $39.9 million. For the regional research community, this signals sustained federal commitment to agricultural resilience as a national priority.

Collaboration is the defining feature of the effort. By pairing the University of Kansas’s fungal expertise with crop science capacity at Kansas State, rice production knowledge in Arkansas, and complementary strengths at the University of Nebraska, the project reflects how large-scale agricultural questions are increasingly answered through multi-state partnerships rather than isolated labs.

Key Takeaways on Drought Tolerance and Soil Fungi

• Soil fungi are a practical tool, not science fiction. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi already associate with most crop roots; the research question is which species deliver measurable drought tolerance benefits for wheat and rice.
• The University of Kansas holds a unique global asset. INVAM, the world’s largest collection of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, is housed at KU and will supply all fungal material for the project.
• Perennial grains add a systems-level solution. Kernza’s 10-foot-deep roots complement the fungal approach by addressing erosion and water access at the same time.
• Farmer input is built in from the start. Interviews and group conversations in three states will connect laboratory findings to the economic and social realities of farming.
• The project invests in people. STEM training, workforce development, and high school outreach extend the grant’s impact well beyond the research itself.

As the four-year project progresses, its findings could influence how wheat and rice are bred, planted, and managed across the USA—and how researchers think about the soil beneath every field.

Interested in a career at the intersection of ecology and agriculture? Explore graduate and undergraduate programs in ecology & evolutionary biology, environmental studies, and sociology at the University of Kansas, and follow KU News for ongoing updates on this research.

Have experience with soil health practices, perennial grains, or drought management on your own operation? Share your perspective—researchers and readers alike benefit from hearing how these innovations play out in the field.