Researchers discover potential solutions to New England roadside erosion

Erosion is a significant problem on highway embankments in New England. To mitigate erosion on the regions' highways, slopes are seeded with a grass–legume mixture that usually including red fescue, a grass preferred for its drought-tolerance and ability to thrive in acidic, infertile soil. "A mixture of red fescue, perennial ryegrass, and kentucky bluegrass is planted to stabilize the soil, but only the red fescue survives long term on slopes", noted Rebecca Nelson Brown, lead author of a report in HortScience. Brown and a team from the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Rhode Island designed a study to identify alternative grass species that could help anchor slopes and prevent costly erosion.

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