AGRONOMY
Nation's oldest research plots to be a focal point of Agronomy Day

Jim Barlow, Life Sciences Editor
(217) 333-5802; b-james3@uiuc.edu

Rob Wynstra, Extension Communication Specialist
(217) 333-9446; wynstra@uiuc.edu

8/1/2001

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Visitors at this year's Agronomy Day will have a chance to see the original heart of agricultural research at the University of Illinois. A celebration honoring the 125th anniversary of the Morrow Plots – the nation’s oldest continuously used agricultural research area – will take place at mid-day on Aug. 23.

"The celebration of the Morrow Plots anniversary provides a fitting addition to our other Agronomy Day activities," said Fred Below, a professor of plant physiology and the Agronomy Day chairman. "Taken together, data from the Morrow Plots represent 125 years of accumulated knowledge on the effect of both sound and unsound crop-management practices on corn yield and the organic matter content of the soil."

The Morrow plots – located off Gregory Drive just east of the Undergraduate Library on Gregory Drive – helped scientists establish the importance of crop rotation and proper fertilizer treatment. Such improvements, Below said, have "allowed us to so successfully feed an ever-increasing world population while at the same time protecting the environment."

Headquarters for the 45th Agronomy Day, which begins at 7 a.m., will be the Crop Sciences Research and Education Center, located southeast of Assembly Hall on Wright Street extended. The event is a partnership among several academic units in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.

"This year, we are attempting to highlight the many aspects of agriculture that so profoundly affect everyone in the state," Below said. "While continuing to present the latest in research for production agriculture, we have incorporated numerous tour stops that examine some of the hottest issues for the public, from the impact of biotechnology and the development of alternative crops to exotic insect invaders and efforts to reduce the impact of agriculture on the environment."

The main Agronomy Day program will feature four hourlong wagon tours of research plots. The tours repeat every 30 minutes when groups are available. The last tour leaves at noon.

The program celebrating the anniversary of the Morrow Plots will begin at noon near the main registration tent. After the ceremony, buses will be available to take visitors to the plots for a guided tour.

Professor Manley Miles and George Morrow, who would become the first agriculture college dean at the UI, began laying out the research plots in 1876, dividing them into 10 plots of one-half acre each. Only three plots of the original layout remain today, but they continue to provide data annually. The north plot has been home to corn every year. The site was designated a National Historical Landmark in 1968.

Admission and parking at the research and education center are free. Lunch will be available at a nominal charge.