URBANA, Ill. — A lot has changed on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus since its founding in 1867, but a storied plot of land near the south quad has been preserved nearly intact for a century and a half. The Morrow Plots, famed in song and story, represent the oldest continuously running agricultural experiment in North America, and are the second oldest in the world. And this year, they turn 150.
“The Morrow Plots are a huge part of our story in the College of ACES. They’re a direct example of how we live out our land-grant mission, providing evidence-based recommendations that serve the public,” said Germán Bollero, dean of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at Illinois. “We’re so excited to celebrate 150 years of agricultural research and outreach that the Morrow Plots represent.”
It’s not an overstatement to say the Morrow Plots have directly impacted the way Americans farm. When the plots were established, farming was more of an art than a science. But methodical, controlled experiments in the plots proved certain practices — crop rotation and judicious fertilizer use — were winners for boosting crop yield, soil health, and farm profitability.
With the advent of University of Illinois Extension in 1914, another key milestone, results from the plots were shared with farmers to implement across the state and beyond.
“None of this would have been possible without the foresight of early campus leaders, who saw the value of long-term, practical research. This perspective allowed researchers to understand how farming practices shape soil, crops, and ecosystems over decades, not just seasons,” said Adam Davis, head of the Department of Crop Sciences, which oversees the Morrow Plots. “Together, these insights continue to inform strategies that sustain productivity while protecting natural resources.”
Read the full article from College of ACES.
Photo: Data from the Morrow Plots have informed agriculture for 150 years. Image: Fred Zwicky.
University of Illinois Extension develops educational programs, extends knowledge, and builds partnerships to support people, communities, and their environments as part of the state's land-grant institution. Extension serves as the leading public outreach effort for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in all 102 Illinois counties through a network of 27 multi-county units and over 500 staff statewide. Extension’s mission is responsive to eight strategic priorities — community, economy, environment, food and agriculture, health, partnerships, technology and discovery, and workforce excellence — that are served through five program areas — 4-H youth development, agriculture and agribusiness, community and economic development, health and community wellness, and natural resources, environment, and energy.