Water is one of the biggest variables in growing anything – too little, and crops stress; too much, and you’re wasting a limited resource. So when a material as simple as sheep’s wool shows promise for helping soil hold water between irrigations, it’s worth a closer look.
That’s exactly what a research team at the University of Galway set out to test – using our own WoolPell sheep-wool pellets, not a generic wool product. The trial is also the first phase of an ongoing research partnership: a new cohort of students at the University is continuing the work this academic year, building on these initial findings.
The study
Led by MSc student Kaycee Larios and supervised by Dr Galina Brychkova (School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Ryan Institute Agriculture, Food Systems and Bioeconomy Research Centre), the study compared untreated soil against soil containing 5% WoolPell pellets by weight. Four agriculturally important crops were tested – wheat, barley, oat and ryegrass – under two watering regimes: normal irrigation and reduced watering.
The goal was straightforward: does adding WoolPell pellets to soil actually help it retain more moisture, and does that effect hold up once watering becomes less frequent?
What they found
The results were clear:
- Under normal irrigation, WoolPell-treated soil held about 12 percentage points more moisture than untreated control soil.
- Under reduced watering, the gap narrowed but stayed significant – WoolPell-treated soil still held about 6 percentage points more moisture than the control.
Statistical analysis (a Scheirer-Ray-Hare test) confirmed that soil treatment had a significant effect on moisture retention, alongside watering regime and crop species – all at p < 0.001.
Notably, the difference between treated and untreated soil became more pronounced once watering was cut back, which is exactly the scenario where moisture-retaining amendments matter most.
Why this matters
Irregular rainfall, drought periods and restricted irrigation are becoming more common considerations across agriculture, horticulture and landscaping. An amendment that helps soil hold onto water between watering events could support:
- Better water management
- More resilience during periods of reduced watering
- Less dependence on frequent irrigation, where suitable
- Easier management of growing systems in water-stressed conditions
To be clear about what this study does and doesn’t show: it demonstrates a real moisture-retention effect using WoolPell pellets over a 35-day controlled trial.
Recognized research
The strength of this work was recognized beyond the lab: Kaycee Larios received the Best Poster Award at the University of Galway’s MSc AgriFood Sustainability and Technology programme in 2026 for presenting these findings. With a new group of students now continuing the research at the University this academic year, this is very much the first chapter of a longer study into WoolPell’s role in soil moisture management.
Read the full independent research summary from the University of Galway here
This research was supported by an Enterprise Ireland and carried out independently by the University of Galway research team. WoolPell pellets were supplied by WoolPell Organic Pellets International Limited for the experimental work.
